Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1894-01-19
vindicator.
l4INsLEY & MORTON. Proprietors.
FRIDAY MORNING.. Jan. IL, 1894.
THE DUTY ON COAL.

THE DUTY ON COAL.
The more the public is permitted to read
of the methods and workings of the coal
business, as detailed by it's Literary Bureau,
the more anxious it becomes to see the
passage Of the Wilson bill giving free coal.
A correspondent OF the Charleston Gazette.
in whose initials we think we recognize an
old acquaintance, writes for that paper a
reply to an editorial in the VINDICATOR
on 'sAn Untaxed Hearthstone 1t seems
from the disclosures of this writer, Who
seems to be familiar with the details of the
coal trade, that q tariff is as necessary to
protect West Virginia coal against Poca-
hontas coal as it is to protect it against
Nova Scotia coal. He says that the opera
tor in the Pocahontas district has so many
advantages over the West Virginia opera
tor in loading fright from the mouth of
the mines. y in greater thickness of seams,
and SO forth, that:
.sYo gu can readily see that in the event of
the Wilson bills beeoming a law, it will
crowd West Virginia coal out from the sea-
board and that Pocahontas, with its cheap
coal, will cut off its western and southern
business, and there will be nothing left for
the West Virginia operator but to close out -
Well may the burdened consumer open
his eyes at this statement! West Virginia
coal mines, in which the Virginia consumer
has no more interest than he has in those Of
Nova Scotia, except that if he lives along
the C. & @. road he is in bondage to them,
not only need protection on the seaboard
from Nova Scotia coal, but also need it in
the West and Southwest from the Pocahon-
tas coal This seems to us one Of the most
critical locations that we ever knew level
headed business men to invest in. And
they run this great risk with their money
to get what? The correspondent shows
what:
$50 produce ton of run of the mine coal
it costs the West Virginia operator:
For mining ..........................40 cents.
For handling .............................".20 g
IOr royalty .....................-........
Then add two cents per ton for feed for
stock and wear and tear of machinery, insur-
ance and tax, you have - cents. Deduct this
railroad company pays for the coal on board
its cars, and you have the Magnificent profit
of three cents per ton fog the operator"
Three cents a ton profit! Weeannot sa,
that we know enough of the coal business
to give advice to these operators; but if
this is really the state OF the case with the
West Virginia operatoTs-f they are in
h, ~
on the South and West from Pocahontas,
all for the petty profit Of three cents a ton,
then they had better close up and change
their investments. Operators who get
themselves into such fix certainly should
not look to other people to bear extra taxa
tion to help them out. The country in the
last four years has twice voted by trench
dous majorities not to do it. and the people
have very clearly made up their minds not
TO. Coal operators nor any other operators
can hope hereafter to do business Oh other
peoples taxes. This writer in closing says ::
''They 1.-THE lands OF the Valley] have
advantages which are possessed by
no other State III tile Union. They have
iron ore and limestone to fluX it, while with
In 100 miles. right over in West Virginia
they have the finest cokng coal in the world
But what good will it do if it is not pro-
tected?"
just read that over again Here we
have the best in the world Of everything
and yet want to be protected against the
rest OF the world which hasn't the best.
Come, come. lei us have done with all that
SORT of thing. Let American mine opera
tors and American workmen hold up their
heads before the world and conquer the
markets of the world. Let's have done
with this cut OF date buga-loo Of ''pauuei
labor" Which this correspondent holds up.
The wages paid in the Nova Scotia mines
are as high as those paid in the West Viz
ginia mines.
The Workmen of the United States have
whipped cut the so-calei ''pauper labor''
OF Europe in every market in the world.
Last year, the United States sold over a
million dollars worth of mowers and reap
ers in the Argentine Republic over compe-
tition with English "pauper labor''; We
sold five millions worth Of plows and cult
vators to nearly every European country,
British Africa, South America and tie
PHILIPPINE Islands, in competition with
'pauper labor; we sold printing presses,
car wheels, fire arms, spikes, locomotives,
railway bars, stoves, and sewing machines,
to every European country, to Asia, to
Africa, to Polynesia, to South and Central
America and to Canada, over competition
with ''pauper lalor." These facts are from
the report issued by the Bureau of Stats
tics of the Treasury Department for the
year ending June. 1898. The United States
workman is invading the whole world and
successfully, and he sold 1881 ,G0O, 600 of the
product OF his work last year i'll countries
where 'panpeE labor" is alleged 10 exist.
Give hin free raw material aid he will
spread himself over Tie Whole world The
closer the United States gets to free tTaie
the better CHANGE the much beset West Nir-
ginia mine operator will have for broader
market in the world for his output, 8
larger profit than the three cents a ton, and
the less fear of his willy Pocahontas neigh
Dor,
The State Military board, of which Gov
ernor 'Ferrall is a member, after a Icing
thy discussion Of the subject, decided to