Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1894-01-31
a voice from the Kana,cAa valley.

Elk Governor Wilson, whose interests are
involved in the prosperity of the KsnAwha
coal region, and who is ia position TO know
what he is talking about. comes to the de-
Tense Of the policy Of his party with char
aeteristic ability, and states in Register
interview with clearness and vigor his
reasons for believing that West Virginia
has nothing to fear from the passage of the
Wilson bill,-the free-cOal clause included
but that the effect will be bene6cial-that
Il will demonstrate that the vaue of our
coal lands does not depend upon congress
sional legislation, that their true value Will
be known to the world aud the fear of for
eign competition will be dissipated. The
Governor explains that the Chesapeake and
Ohio coal agency which, through the con-
troll Of freight rates, has absorbed the entire
coal trade Of the Ksnawha region east to
the Atlantic seabord, makes fully four times
as much profit on the coal as the operators,
puts coal into Philadelphia at cost OF
g. so per tOn-making the talk Of cOmpeti-
ton from Nova Scotia absurd. He goes on
10 show that the great body of West Vir-
ginia coal shipped to the seabOard is used
on steamers engaged in coast and foreign
trade the remainder being used on locomo-
tive engines and for steaming purposes
Nova Scotia coal competition is out of the
question. The analysis of the best Nova
scotia coal exhibited at the Worlds Fair
shows 50 per cent, of carbon and per cent
of sulphur, against an average OF so per
cent of carbon with but the slightest trace
of sulphur in the New River aud Flat Top
coal. "Steamers-especially passenger
steamers-canuot afford to use Nova Scotia
coal for two very substantial reasons: First,
the steamship that expects to trade must
make time, aud must have the best coal
with which to d. it. Loss of time means
a loss of trade. West Virginia took the
FIRST award on cooking coal against the
world al the Columbian EXPEDITION. Sec
ond. a loss in one days time in crossing the
Atlantic means n loss OF at least 1000 IL
the cost of coal alone" II Nova SrOtis
coal could cnmpete with ours at all. it woulc
DO so n where but in the sesbOaTd towns
and cities with population Of perhaps no
more than eight millions out Of the seventy
million consumers OF the country English
competition is almost too absurd to tall
about.
The Governor also says: "A great many
people seem TO lose sight of the fact tina
heretofore we have had substantially FIRE,
coal. have seen it stated that the Wake
tariff OF 1916 had tariff Ul 81 % on coal
The fact is there was no tariff on coal in tn,
Walker tariff excepting that upon slack o
culm. Prior to the passage OF the Mchln
ley bill it provided that there should be I
tariff Of IS cents per ton on coal, but TIN
Was virtually destroyed by the further pro
vision that coal imported into the United
States aud afterward used on steam vessels
engaged in coast or foreign trade shoulC
under the rules prescribed by the Secretary
of the Treasury. be subject to rebate o
IS cents ton. AS the great bulk of GU
coal WAS used on board OF steam vessels, D
resulted ia putting tariff on COAL with ont
hand aud taking il of with the other. Thi'
rule of rebating actually put coal on the
free list. 30 il must be readily seen tha
when the Wilson bull puts cual on the ire'
list so FAR as we are concerned il leaves Il
where it has been for years"