Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1903-02-04
COAL WILL STAY HIGH
MINERS LEADERS SAY LITTLE
RELIEF is IN SIGHT.
Vice President Lewis of the United
Mine Workers ofAn-erica Makes Pre-
diction that Consumers Must Pay
Fancy Prices FOR Two Years.

''There will be no relief in the coal
situation this winter. Phenomenal prices
will be maintained for the next six
months or more, and coal will be higher
during the next two years than it has
been in twenty years past. Grand juries
may indict and government investigations
may be conducted. but all attempts to
bring relief will fail
The above positive statement was
| made by Vice President Thomas Lewis of
| the United Mine Workers of America, an
authority on the bituminous coal stua-
| ton, to correspondent of the Chicago
| Daily News, at indianapolis. His sta-e-
ment was Endorsed by other leading rep
resentatives of the anthracite miners,
! who declared there could be no relief so
Tar as the coal situation was concerned
for months to come. Many prominent
| delegates from different parts of the
| country indorsed the views of their ma
tonal official and few, if any, offered any
| hope for immediate relief.
What Brought Abo at the High Prices.
Vice-President Lewis said: 'The pres
! ent conditions of the coal trade and the
seeming scarcity of coal has been brought
| about by combination of circumstances
that cannot be regulated at this time. We
all recognize a natural increase in the de.
| mand foy coal in this country requires a
large increase in production. The addi-
honal increases in the demand for export
and to the requirements of this country
as a world power have added largely to
the necessity for an increased produc-
tion of coal.
I'm the midst of this peculiar situa-
ton the strike that took place in the an
thracite regions deprived the general mar
ket of about $2J, 100000 tons of anthra-
cite fuel, which could not be replaced by
the bituminous production. inasmuch as
the carrying facilities used in handling
anthracite coal could not be utilized to
take the bituminous coal to the markets.
When the anthracite strike was end
ed many people We're led to believe that
the markets would resume their normal
condition and that coal could be pur-
chased at a reasonable price. They did
not realize that the railroads were al
ready taxed to their full capacity in
handling the increased tonnage of the
last few Years. Many people wonder
why there has been such a phenomenal
Increase in railroad tonnage and have
not stopped TO think that thousands of
tons of the products of American ,1anu-
facturers that are being shipped to all
parts of the world must first be handled
by the railroads before being consigned
TO the vessels IL It take them to foreign
ports. This heavy traffic could not be
neglected even for the transportation of
the much-needed coal from the mines to
the market.
Railroads Cannot Help Themselves.
1.-THE railroad officials, that have been
charged with conspiring to keep up
prices, are not to blame They did not
anticipate such large increase in the
volume of business and did not make
the proper preparations for equipping
their roads with more rolling stock and
motive power. Engines and cars are
needed now, but they cannot be got right
away or for months to come. and the coal
situation will not be relieved until the
much-needed rolling stock and engines
are secured.
There is no scarcity of coal at the
mines. There are thousands of mine
workers employed only four or FIVE hours
day, not because they don't want to
work but because the railroads cannot
handle the coal they mine.
THE present phenomenal prices of coal
will probably not continue more than six
or eight months, but the selling price Of
coal in the next two years will be much
higher than it has been for the last
twenty years.
'In addition to the above reasons tor
keeping up the prices the railroads, on
account of the increased cost of construc-
ton and equipment, are going to advance
freight rates on coal. This has already
been done in several cases and it will be
added to the selling price.
Il can see no hope for relief at pres
ent and make this statement because l
do not believe false hopes should be en-
tertained by the public"
Representatives from the anthracite
regions said the shortage of coal through
the strike amounted TO about 25,000,0 900
tons, equal to about 75000,000 tons of
bituminous, and that it would be impos-
sible to overcome such a shortage with
the present demand. They said the an
thracite operators would not attempt to
increase the output, rs they had steady
trade and did not want to increase it.
They believed the shortage would have
to be made up with bituminous and de-