The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-15

the greater part of the winter? The
Santa Fe did store some coal at New
ton and other points on the line a short
time ago but this supply has been
drawn upon heavily and is now almost
gone. 1t is claimed that the railroads
could not store coal on account of there
being none to store but this is denied
by the producers. They state that if the
railroads had issues orders for coal to
be stored they might have been able to
make arrangements for enough coal to
be taken out to last the roads for some
time but such was not the case. No
such order was issued and now the
railroads are compelled to confiscate
coal which rightfully belongs to the re-
tailers.
Railroad officials are ever ready to
defend their action and show why the
confiscation of coal by the railroads is
reasonable. They claim that at no time
last summer was their supply three
days ahead of the demand and state
that the reason for this was the inabil-
ity of the producers to take out a suffi-
cient supply. Although the producers
deny this the railroads stand up for
their rights which, so they think, are
over and above those of the retailers
and the consumers. They state that it
is of a great deal more Importance to
keep their trains running and their
shops in operation than it is to supply
the public with coal. OF course the
IOdQS dIF WHILE 10 pay lOI Wlldl CCetl
they take but in most cases this is only
the mining price and retailers would
a great deal rather have the coal than
the money
In an interview today J. D. Norton Of
the Mount Carmel Coal company, which
company operates all of the Santa F'eS
mines in Kansas. explained the situation
clearly. Mr.. G. J. Devlin is at the head
of this company. Mr.. Norton said:
THE situation is a very serious one
III l.
way clear The railroads have no coal
on hand to speak of and they claim that
it is necess ory for them to confiscate
any that comes into their hands. Their
claims are probably just and know of
no law that can keep them from doing
so. So far as I know they can legally
take the coal if they are willing to pay
the price asked for it. l know that the
situation is a very trying one from the
standpoint of the consumer, but 1t can
not be helped.
Probably the real reason for the con-
ditiOns which now exist is the unwilling
ness of the miners to work regularly.
/ have noticed that there is a tendency
on the part of the newspapers to blame
the operators for any disagreeable phase
of the coal situation They are the men
who have to stand the blame when it is
really the miners who are responsible.
An organization exists among the
miners Of this country. those in Kansas
included. which is almost invincible.
Things have come to that point where
the employer of coal miners Is not his
own master. He has nothing to do with
them except stand by and watch them
take their own course. They go to work
when they please they quit work when
they please and they draw what pay
they please. An incident which hap
pened a short time ago is a good illus
tration of this.
"A number of coal miners employed at
one of our mines in southern Kansas
| came to work one morning and found no
I cars standing on the tracks leading to
the mine. They Immediately refused TO
go in the ground and in answer to the
superintendent explanation that sew
| eral cars were standing in the COM
pany's yards and would be brought to
the mine presently, they said that they
were not willing to go to work until
everything was ready.
That is the spirit with which these
men do their work and with such condi-
tons existing how can one expect the
| operators to take out enough coal to
! supply the demands of the public? II
is necessary fer us to keep our noses TO