To the Editor of the "Norta-Cuwa Daw News"
Sim,—The attention of the entire! civilized world is focussed deplorable situation which has developed in England during the past few days, There is no doubt that universal sympathy is being tended to all who are suffering as the result of the strike and thousands are wondering just where the blame lies. For those who read an article contributed to the "Saturday, Evening Post" of January 30 by, Edward G. Lowry and entitled "Paying The Piper," all doubt on this score ig cleared up.
This article not only touches on the coal crisis but upon many other subjects of vital interest to both the British and American peoples. It should be read by every thinking Ferson of either of those nationality ies, but for the benefit of those who are unable to obtain access to the article itself a few quotations are given herewith. In a paragraph headed "The Coal Problem in a Nutshell" the author quotes Mr. E.
Good in the "English Review" of September 1925 as follows:—Here is a table which may be said to put the English coal pro-diem in a nut shell:
Barish Coat Proovcrion Pea Mrxe] emt. 1533—with poor mechanical
1203—with better appliances 23 appliances 25 1913—sith stil better appliances 21 1225—ith til tore improved appliances "Even in the period between 1914 and 1924 the number of bur mechanical coal cutters has been doubled; the number of me-' quadrupled; there have been great electrical power and light and related developments; hundreds. of old and difficult seams have been abandoned; and scores of new and magnificently equipped collieries have been opened outs but instead of an increased out-
Put per unit of labour, we have! actually had a decline from about 21 ewts. per man shift. to less than 16 ewts.
"Indeed, reports which declare that the present depression in the coal trade is not due to factors under the control of either miners or their employers, but is attributable to external" circumstances, are worse than waste.
"They are untrue and mischievous. Our coal trade is depressed because we have since the war, driven customers and would-be customers away with our high costs, our low output, our strikes and threats of strikes."
"Here is another little table:
Avenace Dinecr Pir Lanovr Cosrs oF Coat. Proouctiox ix Rovxo Ficcnes Great Britain 133, 64. per ton Germany Ts 6d.
United States
"In Germany they get cheap'
coal by means of low wages. In the United States they get cheap coal by means of big output.
Untreo States Proovcrion Per MINE Wonken Pea WORKING SHIFT
1903 a 1913 1023 89 "We cannot do all they do in in the matter of output of labour for our natural conditions are not as good, just as European Continental conditions are not as favourable as ours; but we might at least do half as much as the Americans in this matter. That would—solve our problem. United States: miners have recently been earning wages averaging £8 a week, against a British average of £2 15s, yet the spithead cost of merican coal is barely half as as the cost of our material."
Before our trade can revive and our workers prosper we shall have to return to the old idea of fair day's work. Men and nations thrive on hard work. They decay on indolence. Unless we shake it off we shall drift to disaster.
"The fact that we are not doing so much trade in the Italian and. other markets as we did before the war is due entirely to our own—shortcomings—our high costs, our short output, our frequent strikes.
"Sir Philip Gibbs confirms this} ure of conditions in an article a country - depends upon the moral, qualities of its people and the character of its Government and its political "'In many cases where soe! tie Boards of Guardians give an extra allowance out of the rates, in Poplar and the West Ham districts of London, unemployed men are actually receiving more each week"than men receive who are working at jobs in the same district. What incentive is there to search for work?
"The coal crisis, averted only by Mr. Baldwin's subsidy in support of wages, will come again in the spring, when those £20,000,- 000 or s0, provided by the unfortunate taxpayers, have been spent, in buying a temporary truce. It may be taken as a fact that the miners will not accept lower wages or longer hours without a bitter and long fight. The only chance of peace lies in a reorg ganization of the industry, from top to bottom, so that the output may be increased and the cost of production decreased.
"The working man must be made to see, somehow, that deliberate limitation of output is not a service to his out of-work pals; that it doesn't mean more work for more hands, but that it is a crime against his own manhood and against the nation, demoralizing the individual,—increasing the cost of production and spoiling trade.
"The employer marist be _converted to a greater generosity of spirit, which will make his employees partners it his own concern, with some control over -the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.