Show 1 I Our Coal Problem i I IR Q DEPORTS made at the annual convention of R REPORTS the Utah-Idaho Utah retail coal merchants convey little hope to the public for a reduced price on c coal at this summer High wages and high freight rates tates are held to be the barriers to the readjustment readjustment readjust readjust- ment ment of fuel prices on a scale more in keeping with ith the national trend T That at coal prices are too high for the good goodof of the country is plainly apparent High freight rates tes are blamed for high coal prices and high c coat l. l prices are blan blamed ed for high freight rates Neither J explanation offers any material relief to the household household consumer and the manufacturer is perplexed p because he must met meet both ends of r r. r lib problem 4 The public in turn must face the music of prices which refuse to 10 come down Th There Thre re is something more than the immediate burden jurden in the high price of fuel In many sections sections sec see of the country fuel is the main part of production furnishing the power which turns the r raw material into th finish d product Th The cost of production is regulated by the price of coal and the selling prices must conform to cost plus a reasonable profit This means a handicap in the markets of the thel l world orld since it is plainly apparent that the country country country coun- coun try with the cheapest fuel enjoys the advantage tf f production Savings in production are natural benefits b. b n fIts in the competition of the world When hese these things are taken into consideration the need ed of lower fuel prices becomes clear But no one seems to know just how how the condition is to be brought about The mine assert that reductions are impossible under uder the present wage scale Moreover th they y assert that the wage scale cannot be be reduced p because ese s the min miners rs are working but two days days' a aj j eek The latter statement latter statement would seem to point poin f helff the Ithe ills of the situation Something is x Wrong i when men work two days and and rest five it i-it d lt may be the fault of the miner mine and it may be be l he fault of the management or it may be attrib- attrib l oiled j d to the general conditions of the country is to blame it is plain that the situa- situa is s far from satisfactory and one that should be remedied If If- the entire production of of the country was k i reduced ed to a two days' days basis industrial jion ion would be quick and complete As the mine operators indicate the miners are arc entitled to live lived d under present conditions they must be paid I enough for two days' days work tp to bridge a a gap of l lf five frye e. e resting days This is too much like waiting r r the cow to back up to be milked It is and unsatisfactory to an industrious naion nat na- na t 1 t ion Rm RmA A happy solution is necessary to the weE wele well wel- wel E l rat e of f the country and the citizenship 1 |