Evening star., 1934-05-21

complete ignorance of law and the
important facts, or a fixed determi-
nation to find monopolistic practices
and the oppression of small enter
prises, without regard for the facts.
The bituminous coal industry has
been one Of the perennially sick indus
tries of the United States. The btu
minouS coal code. with all its diff
culties OF adoption and administra-
ton. has improved the health of the
entire industry to a remarkable degree
in the few months OF operation.
The Review Board. on the basis OF a
trifiing amount of ex parte testimony,
has undertaken to urge the dismissal
Of the subdivisional code authorities
in Northern West Virginia and Western
Pennsylvania. This recommendation
Is made upon the basis Of misstate-
ments and misunderstanding Of fact
which are conclusively demonstrated in
the detailed memorandum attached to
this commentary.
Rail Price Studied.
The Review Board criticizes a re-
duced price Of coal for railroads with
out the slightest knowledge Of the
basis upon which this reduced price
was reached at joint meeting between
Representatives of the railroads. the
coal producers and the Government.
The board Is evidently also igno-
rant of the fact that the Federal CO.
Ordinator Of railroads has urged every
possible effort to protect the railroads
against price increases necessary for
the payment of decent wages, but diff
cult for the railroads to bear in a
time when all railroads are suffering
from a heavily reduced trafhc, result
ing in the insolvency OF large num-
Der of railroad systems.
The criticisms by the Review Board
Of price increases under the coal code
furnish a perfect demonstration Of the
illogic of the boards recommendation
that hours and wages should be regu-
lated BY Government, but that those
paving the hours and wages shall be
denied any opportunity to protect
themselves from cut-throat compe-
tition.
Under regulated hours and wages in
the coal industry and savage. wolflsh"
competition, the result would be the
survival only of highly mechanical,
low-cost production mines, throwing
out of employment thousands OF
miners, closing down every small en-
terprise which is struggling to survive
and, in the eventual day when only
a few great coal producers survived.
the practical monopolization Of coal
production by these few powerful sur
viyors.
Re-employ Millions.
In a great national emergency the
National Recovery Administration has,
through the establishment OF codes OF
fair competition. made possible the re-
EMPLOYMENT of over 100000 workers,
with increases In wages exceeding
So, 900 600. 900.
This accomplishment has been pos
sible only through obtaining the
voluntary cooperation of great in
dustrial enterprises in raising wages
and shortening hours. and this CO.
operation has only been possible be-
cause at the same time these en-
ployers could be assured Of the elimi-
nation of cut-throat competition by
those enterprises which profit out of
the labor of underpaid and over
worked men. women and children.
Under the codes of fair competition
in industry after industry, small
enterprises. facing imminent extinc-
ton under previous conditions. have
been given a new lease of life and
saved from impending bankruptcy.
If the Review Board had pursued
diligently the facts freely available
for its consideration. it would have
been forced to find that in every
maj jor industry projections had been
extended to small enterprises, and
monopolistic practices had been
curbed to a degree hitherto unknown
and to a degree utterly impossible
under the conditions prevailing before
the adoption of the codes.
The board made no adequate in
vestigation of facts. but deliberately
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