The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-02-24
SECRET Is OUT.
Coal Famine Investigation Re-
veals Cause of Shortage.
1t Was Because the People Used
Up Supply.
FORMAL REPORT MADE.
Find That Miners Wages Are
Very Small.
Have Not Kept Pace With Other
Increases.
This Has Prevented an Increas-
ed Production.
7ORMAL REPORT MADE.

It's nndlnes- 1t places the blame for The
coal famine on the increased consump-
ton of bituminous coal, not only in
Kansas but also in other states.
The scale of miners wages were fixed
last August for the winter. Wages in
other lines Of employment have advance
ed, but not miners wages, and as a
consequence some miners have quit the
mines and gone into other employment,
so that the production of coal has by no
means kept up with the consumption.
The average yearly earnings of miners
is less than $500 year and out of that
they pay exorbitant house rent and high
prices for groceries.
The committee blames the railroads
for indiscrminate and unnecessary con-
tiseation of coal, and advises that sup
ply OF coal be properly stored at the
state institutions during the summer.
The findings of the committee in full
are as follows.
We have examined So witnesses con-
slstlng of coal operators, coal miners,
coal dealers, railway officials and 9TH
ers, and have taken over 10000 words OF
testimony. al some 20 different sessions
of the committee.
We took little testimony to establish
the fact that there had been during the
past winter scarcity of coal for con-
sumers in Kansas, as that seemed to be
admitted on all sides.
1t seems from the testimony that the
output of the mines in Kansas, during
the past few months, has been consid-
erably larger than the output for the
corresponding months of previous years.
We, therefore, are compelled to account
for a much greater consumption Of
Kansas coal than usual. This is the
more difficult. as the comparatively mild
weather prevailing during the past few
months has not kept the actual demand
from private consumers equal to that
of some former years.
I'll seems from the evidence that the
strike among the coal miners in Penn
sylvania almost entirely cut off the sup
ply of anthracite coal from that source.
This kind of coal is, to very great ex-
tent, purchased and stored in the sum
mer time for two reasons. In the first
place, it can be stored without any dan
ger of combustion: and in the second
place. the consumers of this class of coal
belong to q class who are financially
able to buy their coalrin large quantities
and some time before they expect to use
+ it. 1t appears that Kansas uses only
about as much anthracite coal annually
as would be equivalent to 10000 tons
of biituminous coal The lack of an
thracite coal, therefore. does not com
mence to account for the lack of an ade-
quate supply of coal in general, but could
+ only affect the question of preparedness
for winter on the part of the general
/ consumer.
1.-THE bituminous coal of Kansas. as a
general rule, cannot be safely or sue
cessfully stored in large quantities
without extra care and expense. 1t is
sure to slack and becomes to a large
/ extent unstable and there is always
more or less danger of combustion. For
this reason the practice of storing this
/ coal mas been diminishing from year to
year. and there was probably less biz
luminous coal stored by the large con-
/ sumers in Kansas last summer than in
any previous year. On the approach of
winter, therefore, Kansas had a less.
supply of coal on hand than usual.
THE evidence taken by shows
that during the past few months there
has been great activity in railroad
/ transportation, and while the statistics
are not clear upon that subject, it is
highly probable that the railroads have
4 used more coal during this time than
usual. but not sufficient o-aceount for
the shortage
THE evidence clearly shows that the
industrial concerns have used a great
deal more coal than usual This seems
to have been true not only in Kansas,
but also in Colorado, and the increased
consumption in Colorado has prevented
the usual supply of Colorado coal COM
ing to Kansas.
IN some. cases there has been a lack
of cars in the mines and of transpOrta-
ton facilities For these reasons the
output of some mines during a part of
the time has not been as great as it
might have been.
"Thcse are the principal reasons for
the failure of the coal supply to meet
the demand in this state during the
past few months.
I'VE did not discover any indication
that there has been any combination
between the miners or between the OPP
orators or between any class or classes
of persons to decrease the supply of
coal, and the conditions. in our opin-
ion. have been the result of a COM
bination of circumstances
THE scale of wages for the coal
miners in Kansas was fixed the last
time by an agreement made on the 2ith
day of August. 1902 This agreement
included practically all the coal miners
in this state. Under the scale. as fix
ed by this agreement, the number of
miners did not tend to increase ON
account of the high wages paid by en-
ployers in other lines of work, there
was tendency in some f1elds for the
, miners to seek other employment. rath-
er than for persons employed at other
labor to become miners. and in some
instances the mines have not employed
all the labor possible on this account
But, in general, there has not been any
scarcity of labor at the mines
1.-The evidence shows that the aver
age earnings of the average miner IN
) I Kansas are less than $500 per year.
When we take into consideration the
fact that they are compelled to pay. IN
most cases. an exOrbitant rent for house,
and a high price for groceries, 1t VIII
be seen that the number of miners
/ would hardly tend to increase Al
though the price of coal has greatly in
3 creased, the wages fixed by the above
agreement have remained the standard
| and the coal operators have reaped all
the benefits of the situation. While it is
true that the latter have simply kept
their agreement with their employees.
[ Vet we desire to point out the fact that
if the price of coal had fallen to such
an extent that coal could not have been
DrOfitably sold at the mines. the mines
could have been shut down without VIC
, iating this agreement We, therefore
5 can see no reason why the price should
have been advanced as it was. while the
cost of production remained the same,