"COALESCENT"

The street-corner statesman, who possibly ranks with the arm-chair philosopher as the supreme function-head of knowledge in all affairs of this earth, is raising his voice with increasing vociferousness to demand, "Why doesn't the Government take over the coal mines?" The fifth week of the coal strike has not pinched him personally, but it seems to him that the whole thing could be adjusted satisfactorily for everybody by having Uncle Sam just take hold and operate the mines. Thus easily dismissed, the coal strike shrinks away to a back place.

"There is no doubt Jefferson and the old line "strict constructionists" would suffer grievous shocks today. More and more is the tendency becoming evident to turn to Washington to take up every problem that is proving in the least cantankerous for private interests to handle. "The Government" has become the magic formula for solving every difficulty and curing all ills. This is all the more curious in view of the Government's experience in operating private industry during the war. To prove this it is only necessary to turn to the railroads. There the outstanding evidence of Government control was poor service at almost double cost. The formerly great systems, well operated and magnificently handled broke down completely, under Government management and traffic became hopelessly tied up. Labor became inefficient and difficult to manage. Last, the rolling stock ad the road-beds were allowed to deteriorate until on turning the railroads back to private hands, the Treasury was forced to make good huge deflcits.

Possibly this was a war condition and under permanent Government control would be eliminated. Look at Canada. There the government has been in control in peace times of all the important railways except one,--and the only one to make expenses since the war has been the one remaining in private hands. In 1920 the Canadian Government lost $70,000,000 in operating the roads; and in 1921 another huge deficit coupled with the $100,000,000 interest which had to be paid, cost the Dominion half its income. The attached shipping enterprise under government control has also caused grave losses, the capital lost in ships estimated at about one-half.

With a background like this in transportation is there any reason to hope for better results in mining? Operation of the coal mines is a proposition as complicated and specialized as managing the railroads.

The coal strike admittedly is a tough nut to crack, but certainly it would not improve matters to plunge into another era of extravagance, resulting in an in- adequate supply of coal. The broad impersonal back of Uncle Sam looms up invitingly enough; but every indication points to complete failure if he assumes the job. At least that has been the result of every previous attempt of his and his neighbors in this direction on the American Continent