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the public pay for coal if government officials,
with political pulls and the accustomed graft and
notorious inefficiency of state and municipal management,
conducted the work which you are doing?
What mathematical rule do you know equal to its
solution? Would it be an arithmetical or geometrical
progression?
The interest of the wage earner is undoubtedly
to get the highest return for his labor which the
conditions of the business will justify. Every
management is necessarily limited in fixing schedules
of wages by the cost of production and the
price obtainable for the thing produced. The
owner is entitled to a reasonable return on his
investment.
All co-workers must be treated kindly. Reasonable
allowance must always be made for the differences
among men. Whenever it is possible
by kind words or actions to help a worried, awkward
and dull co-worker it ought to be done.
Whenever it is possible to aid in improving the
physical surroundings of our co-laborers, to help
them to better and purer ideals of life and living,
let us do it. I was proud of the record you
maue in the coal investigation. With all the
powers combined in the attack, special venom, for
some reason being directed against us, no serious
case of wrong-doing to the many thousands of our
fellow laborers was disclosed.
I believe to-day that we have the good-will of
our co-workers and that we will continue to have
it until demands, supported by appeals to passion
and prejudice, shall cause many of them to forget
our kindness and friendship.
THE FUEL QUESTION IN CANADA.
A Canadian writer, in discussing the fuel problem
of the dominion says:
"The provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick,
Prince Edward Island and Quebec find the source
of their supplies of mineral fuel chiefly in Nova
Scotia. This must necessarily be so because of
their geographical position, and the sale of Nova
Scotia coal must be restricted to those provinces
and to the New England States. There are valuable
coal mines also on Vancouver Island and in
the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia. The
demands of that province are supplied from those
sources, the excess of the production going to the
states of Washington, Oregon and California. All
those portions of Canada, from Montreal to the
Rocky Mountains, possessing no known deposits
of coal, certainly none that have been developed,
have of necessity to depend for their fuel supplies
upon Pennsylvania, Ohio. Indiana, Illinois and
West Virginia. The dependence of central Canada
for mineral fuel is upon these neighboring
American states, the requirement being in 1904
THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN. 35
nearly 7,000,000 tons, valued at over $20,000,000,
upon which $2,211,801 duty was paid.
"The question of reciprocity in coal with the
United States is a most important one. No doubt,
on general principles, every important Canadian
industry should receive adequate tariff protection,
but the coal industries of both Nova Scotia and
British Columbia are not only not benefited by the
duty but are injured, and will continue to be injured
by it. The duty has no beneficial effect on
Nova Scotia coal consumed in the maritime provinces
and Quebec, nor on British Columbia coal
in that province; but because of the American
duty the trade of Nova.Scotia coal is handicapped
in the New England States, and the sale of British
Columbia coal is similarly handicapped in the
American Pacific coast states. The fact that the
total exports of Canadian coal in 1904 amounted
to only 1,640,505 tons, valued at $4,346,660, tells
against a most important industry. It cannot
expand to any considerable extent at home, and
must therefore remain practically as it now is
unless the restriction in a most valuable foreign
market is removed.
"On the other hand, those sections of Canada
between Montreal and the Rocky Mountains which
last year required nearly 7,000,000 tons of foreign
coal, valued at more than $20,000,000, were compelled
to pay more than $2,211,000 for the privilege
of importing it. The question is, how long
will the manufacturing and other industrial interests
of Central Canada submit to paying more
than $2,211,000 in duty upon their fuel, ostensibly
for the benefit of an industry which does not require
it but is rather handicapped by it."
The total of Canada's imports and exports of
fuel last year, together with their value, was as
follows:
IMPORTS.
Tons.
Anthracite and dust( free of
Value.
duty) 2,275,018 $10,461,223
Coke (free of duty) 221,050 765,123
Charcoal (duty 20 per cent.) 22,224
Bituminous (duty 53 cents
per ton) 4,053,900 9,108,208
Bituminous dust (duty 20
per cent.) 608.041 544,123
Total 7,158,009 $20,901,901
EXPORTS.
Tons. Value.
To Great Britain 14,120 $50,523
To United States 1.382,693 3,565,910
To other countries 289,692 280,227
Total 1,646.505 $4,346,660