Casper Daily Tribune Newspaper, April 15, 1923, Page 17

SUNDAY, APRIL 15, 1923. ‘GOAL OPERATORS MUST COMPETE AND PROTECT PUBLG'--BABSON Present Famine Will Be Over in About a Week, Says Statistician, but Issue Is Decidedly Not Settled, And Serious Tie-Ups Still Threaten. WELLESLEY HILLS, Mass., March 23. W. Bab- son, statistician and business authority, has ae very ri cided views on the coal situation—and he has a solution. Within an other week the coal famine should be over. If the weather runs according to able to get all the coal he need But is the coal problem settled? “Decidedly not,” says Roger W. Bab- son, the statisticlan who demands that the coal problem be solved this spring when it can be solved and that we do not walt until next winter when it will be too late to do any- thing but rush around feverishly to try to get enough coal to tide us| through the zero weather. “We are a lot like the man who had a leak in his roof,” says Mr. Babson. “When it wasn't raining it didn’t need fixing. When it was rain- ing he couldn't fix {t. As a result we have repeated tio-ups; in the spring, scare talk by the coal dealers; in the summer, strikes; and in the winter, the actual shortage. The attached table will give you a picture of the situation as it {s, You will note that there hasn't been a single year in which strikes and lockouts have not caused loss in coal production which meant higher costs to the consumer. “It now looks as though history were going to repeat itself again. We are threatened with another coal strike this spring. “If it 1s allowed to go Into effect, it will spell another shortage and more suffering next year. “Six sueh serious tie-ups tn the last twenty-five years are aplenty and it 1s possible that we may arrive at the solution of the problem by analsz- ing the cause of there several tle-ups. In studying them, I find that they are surprisingly alike. In each case tainers and operators have had what they thought was a rea] grievance and real difference. In each case the government has attempted to deal with the problem by appointing a commission. “In 1897 public sympathy was largely with the miners who had a just grievance. As we get down to 1922, however, we find the miners becoming quite able to take care of themselves. There is little choice be- tween the miners and operators as to which was the aggrieved and which the aggressor. Both now have powerful fighting machines and both apparently are actuated by the same motive—to get all they can for them- selves and-to give as little as they can. The third party in argument, the great consuming public, has not done so very well. In every single {nstance on record {t has taken most of the beating and has meekly ap- pointed a commission to patch up the quarrel between the other two parties. After beings mauled and bled and robbed by a half dozen operators and e@ few thousand miners, the hundred million consumers have begged Con: gress to appoint a commission, sim- ply because the thing alwa: had been done and it is assumed, thereof, that It must always be done. “I personally do not know much bout what went on inside the com: “mission meetings. One can only judge by results, and it is evident that little or nothing has been accom- plished. “In 1897, for instance, a com- promise was made between operator and miner, on September 3rd. Wages were Increased 20 per cent and miners and operators agreed to meet in Jan- uary, 1898, for the purpose of form- ing a wage scale and making an annual contract. The strike wus very successful from the miners’ point of view. “In 1902 through the mediation of President Roosevelt the strike was rettled on October 28, with the understanding that questions in dis- pute would be submitted to a com- mission. A 10 per cent increase in wages and a reduction of hours were granted to the miners. “In 1906 the strike was finally settled. through agreement between operators and miners themselves. Not through a third party. “On April 1, 1910, 300,000 miners went out. The agreements were sub- mitted to the miners and rejected. The strike was finally settled on September 8 of that year. A slight increaso was granted and. certain other concéssions. The miners’ union paid out $674,000 in strike benefits and mines were idle from April 1 to August 8 “A conference was called on Octo- ber 16, 1919, in an effort to prevent a gtrike, but the operators refused to negotiate as long as the strike order was in force. The miners’ contract which really did not expire until April, 1920, was Gisregarded. The president's appeal to the strikers failed. The attorney general issued an order restraining union officials from putting the strike into effect. the almanac, everyone will be s after April 1.” ‘This fafled. An injunction demanded that the officers rescind the strike order, the order was rescinded but the miners went on strike November 1, just the same. On December 10 an offer from the president direct to the miners granted 14 per cent im- mediate increase and question of further increase to be determined by the commission. “The story from the public’s point! of view has been the same in all these cases, exorbitant prices, poor quality, suffering and no end of in- convenience. ii “After studying this record, and after having shivered through a fire- less winter, one may feel a little skeptical as to what our Present coal gommiasion is going to accomplish, So far it seems to be running true to form. Last September a commis sion was appointed by the president to investigate and find all the a that would have a bearing on solution of the coal problem. In a report to Congress on January 15 of this year, it took care not to commit itself to any. definite recommenda tions. It did find that one funda- mental cause for instability tn bitum!- | Rous coal mining was surplus of both mines and miners. “Tho other findings of the cnm- mission indicate that it is really analyzing the problem, but tt looks an though it must suffer the fate of most such commissions. Now there are three of us in this coal problem. Both miners and perators have been loud in proclaiming thir rights and in demanding that their particular pet schemes be enforced. I should like to propose a platform for the most important member fn this argu- ment—the general public. “The operators’ arguments boll down to the contents of the present method. It is apparently just as profitable to do business half of the year at twice the profit and take # vacation for the other six months as t! is to work the year round at a normh! profit. . “The miners’ plan ts ingenious and well calculated insofar as the wel- tare of the miner is concerned. They would have the government buy ail the coal mines at a figure which they set at $4,500,000,000 and would then have tho government carry on oper- ations and sell coal to the public. ‘The scheme invol¥es much machinery for scientific determination of costs, price fixings, andsimiler other ac- tivities. Mine wages would become & political issue which would be very fine for the miners, In addition to this fact, such a plan would elim!- nate competition and all necessity for progress and economy in the in dustry. Coal, to be sure, might be sold to the public at a lower price, only to leave a huge deficit which must be made up in increased taxes. In the final accounting it probably would cost you and I just as much or more than {t does at present. No government can operate a business as efficiently as a private owner. Hence, from the consumers’ stand- point, the proposition to have the people buy the coal mines is not at- tractive. They already have had enough of government operation in connection with the railroads, the building and operation of ships, and the various other interests in which the government took a hand during the war, The Problem. “What the consumer is interested in is getting coal at a fair price when he needs it. Everyone who has studied the coal problem will agree that the seat of the trouble Mes in the fact that:competition has been squeezed out of the industry. The reason all of these troubles arise ts because the natural laws which govern other, lines of business have heen blocked. On the one hand they have been thwarted through the or- ganization of labor; on the other hand by the combination of the owners, This, moreover, {= the principal argu- ment against government purchase of the coal mines, for such a. plan in- stead of increasing competition would bar it out entirely. ‘The real prob- lem, therefore, is to employ govern- ment authority only so far as it is 40-Minute English Complexion Clay $1.00 Per Jar | necessary to make the industry sub- Ject to economic laws,—the law of supply and demand, id the law of competition. The Public’s Solution. “How then can we put competition into the coal business? The first | Step must be to secure from the gov- ernment @ commission or board which will have the authority to act as a referee for the public in all arguments jarising within the industry. It must be empowered by the federal govern- ment to enforce its rulings. As a second step, the mines should be | divided into two parts which will pe approximately equal as far as their producing capacity 1s concerned. ‘Then by public decree, if you please, let the mines in one half be operated as union mines under a closed shop Agreement, but let the mines in the other half be kept on an open shop | basis. ‘Then let the two groups show | by their own operation which plan is | the better, “The operators claim that the more efficlent mines are the open shop mines, whereas the miners claim that the most efficient plan is the closed | shop and the tight union, The pub- | le does not know which is right, but Casper Sunvdap Morning Cribune inefficient, careless, and arrogant. So 1904 -_____ 77,661 long as there is real and fair com-| i995 petition, both sides are kept on their toes. If it is really true that the open shop plan is more efficient than the closed shop, then the open shop mines will gradually get the greater part of the country’s business. The same will be true ff the miners can secures complete control it becomes demonstrate that their plan is the better. “An Interstate commerce commis- sion has helped greatly in solving our transportation problems and insuring service for the public. A similar body as ‘referee’ with power to en- force its rulings would do much to insure real competition and, there- fore, good service in the coal in- dustry.” ‘Twenty-five Years of Coal Strikes. Av. No. of days ‘Total lost No. ofmen working per Year on strike ~150,000 1907 famine. 32,540 1908 -_____145,145 1909 ______ 25,534 1910 —______218,493 1911 famine. 41,413 1912 —_____.311,056 1918 —___135,295 1914 _____161,720 1915 —_____. 67,190 1916 —-____170,633 1917 —______160,240 1918 .. 1919 famine_446,436 192 Smith-Turner Drug Store do it d ther group THAT land of the EVANS OIL CORPORATION in PINE MOUNTAIN has been PROVED for both OIL and GAS in the shallow sand? THAT oil from this sand has been sold for the highest price ever paid for Wyoming crude? THAT a well adjoining our lease on the north has found oil in the Tensleep which proves our acreage in this sand? THAT a well adjoining our land on the south is nearing this producing horizon which will place our land between two producers? THAT a well on our land found production esti- mated at 50 barrels in the shallow sand and should be into the Tensleep in the near future? THAT the EVANS OIL CORPORATION has 2400 acres in this structure, all of which is in the HEART of the DOME and is a part of what was WITH- DRAWN by the GOVERNMENT? THAT PINE MOUNTAIN lies between Poison Spider and Notches, both of which are producing from the Tensleep and that it is the highest and largest structure in the Powder River Uplift? THAT a pipeline will soon be laid to the railroad which is only six miles distant, giving the output from this field an immediate and profitable market? Do You Know THAT EVANS OIL CORPORATION has 1820 acres in SALT CREEK where a well is now being drilled? THAT this well was started with a 20-inch hole and will be carried to the LAKOTA sand if neces- sary? THAT the land of EVANS OIL CORPORA- TION will be worth MILLIONS as soon as these wells are successfully completed? THAT the president of EVANS OI CORPORA- TION is one of the most successful Industrial Opera- tors in Montana and that he accepted this office with the expectation of making this company a continua- tion of his successful career? THAT Shares in the EVANS OIL CORPORA- TION is the best investment on the market today? THAT with the successful completion of the wells now drilling this stock will be worth several times its present price? THAT only a limited number of shares are now available at par, $1 per share and that these may be withdrawn without notice? That your OPPORTUNITY is NOW and that by waiting you may lose this OPPORTUNITY? THAT if any further information is desired that rs visit to our office or a phone call will bring full par- ticulars? INVESTIGATE—THEN INVEST Evans Oil Corporation Suite 7 Zuttermeister Bldg. P. O. Box 493 Casper, Wyo. Phone 1944-R 8,382,830 44 798,735 = 21 19,201,348 52 19,250524 88 983,737 24 12,527,305 40 3,049,412 23 11,013,667 68 2,467,431 87 8,344,586 20 2,348,399 15 508,526 6 15,603,567 85 11,849,660 43 8,032,101 29 86,218,090 139 for our — 79,395 led with valuable tnformation oe sical adioes You should read it. ras DRS. BOWERS RAMSD) Suite 53 Standish Hotel,Denver,Colo. Records above are representative, ANNOUNCEMENT The Union Employment Agency 13314 West Second—Basement Home Hotel SERVICE SATISFACTION Now at the service of the public. HELP OF ALL DESCRIPTION FURNISHED No Charge to Employers. We arrange meetings for employers to meet employes personally. Any Time You Need Help, Write or Phone Us. Open Day and Night Phone 2284 Hard Water Kills! 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