Soft Coal Hard Choices

Making use of economic theory and statistics, this study examines the economic lives of American coal miners in the early part of the 20th century. It emphasizes the competition among employers for labour, legal rights, the state of the labour market and the impact of trade unions.

Making use of economic theory and statistics, this study examines the economic lives of American coal miners in the early part of the 20th century. It emphasizes the competition among employers for labour, legal rights, the state of the labour market and the impact of trade unions

This text provides a comparative perspective on two major coalfields, in order to allow a historically constructed view of the patterns of experience and behaviour in mining communities.

Concerned with the fact that contrary to expectations, technology has not solved the world's problems, this paper looks at both the benefits and harmful results of increasing technology.