The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1910-07-30
COAL INDUSTRY NEEDS AIR
TREATMENT AT tiANDS OF
THE PEOPLE,
Wasteful and Unsafe Mining Metho:r
Urgently Demand Reform-Ruin-
Gus Competition Driving the
Small Operators Out.


The following abstract of an ad.
dress by DR.. Joseph A. Holmes curing
Alabama State University is reprint.
ed from Science:
Our coal industry In its phcnomcn.
al growth has nearly doubled during
each succeeding decade OF tie last
eight years. 1t has had to do more
than keep pace with our Increasing
population; for while It supplied less
than one ton of coal per capita to
the American people in 1870, il has
had TO supply nearly six tons per
capita during 1907. Its growth has
been too rapid for sytematic develop.
ment; and the industry today repre-.
sents great host of scattered, war.
ring, discouraged elements, without
organization or cooperation.
II the rapidly increasing rate OF
coal production and waste OF the last
eighty years should continue for an.
other century and n half-which Ia
possible though hardly probale-the
end OF the next century would see the
end OF the supply OF coal now con:
sidered available for use. The nation
must perpetuate this supply by les.
SEEMING the waste and by moro ell.
cient use.
| In this industry are now employed
more than seven hundred thousand
miners, who work at some six thous.
and different mines and produce an.
nually nearly five hundred million
ions OF coal. Not only Is the nation
increasingly dependent upon this
coal for its heat and light and Tor
power for its varied manufacturing
industries; but this coal and other
mineral products now contribute
about sixty-he per cent of the total
freight tonnage OF the country; and
the coal and steel are the essential
factors in all our transportatlons fa.
cilities.
The economic conditions upon
which coal mining is based In this
country are so fundamentally bad,
and the evil consequences are SO far.
reaching as 10 both time and extent
and are so essentially national in
character that this point demands
the earnest consideration of our best
statesmen, rs well rs or our best
engineers, whether with the federal
OF private corporations. z
or stateigovernments or in the employ
In spite OF the rapid growth in our
iemmand for coal indAlabama and in
the United States, the normal pro.
ductive capacity Of our coal mines,
II operated continuously, would ex.
coed this demand and n ruinous com.
petition exists not only between the
tween the operators OF one field
against those in. another field, or In
another state, where different mining
laws and regulations are In force. =
This competition Is first OF all
driving out OF the business the small
operators, eXceptw where they find
protection under local freight rates
and Is forcing even the larger opera
tor TO mine coal under conditions
which he can not approve, but from
which he finds no escape. II he end
his fellow operators endeayor 10 get
together" and place the price OF coal
at the mine on reasonable basis
they may so to Jail under either n
federal or state statute; and MS
the only alternative, each must live
Tor succomb) by undertaking the
other, which he can do only through
following the wastefui ana unsa-c
mining methods which prevail in this
country today in spite Of the desire
OF every operator 10 improve them.
Evenwhen the demand for coal
and the prices are at their best, I'm.
der existing conditions the operator
can mine only that part of his coal
which can be taken out most cheaply
and sold at the higher prices; and
the remainder must be left under
ground in such shape as may pre
clude its future recovery. And thus
we waste nearly 100000 10 10000,
600 tons OF coal in Alabama, anG more
than 25O,OQ0,00O tons OF the nations
fuel supply.
But great as this waste or loss
of coal in mining, still greater IS the
loss in use OF coal that isconsumed In
our furnaces. In the average power
plant OF today, less than ten per cen,
OF the energy OF the coal is converted
into actual work; the other NINETY
per cent being used up In the furnace
the boiler, the engine and the shaft
Ing. Worse still OF the coal burned In
producing the electric lights of this
university-less than one per cent O.
Its energy is transformed into tight;
the other more than ninety-nlne pei
cent OF the total energy being used Ill
in the different steps Of the transform
alton from coal into light. The AMER
can mine owner Is rs humane us /.
the mine owner OF any other country
; and he would like TO follow the prdc
tice and use vry applianc for safet,
: to be found in Great Britain, France
Belgium, Germany or elsewhere, bu
he pays his miners highest WAGE
. and ut the same time he receives 70
his coal Mt the miners half me pric,
received for similar coal by the min,
owners in those countries.
, The coal industry needs ana lie
I serves fair treatment ut tie hand
, OF the American people; and uro,
its receipt OF sucll treatment de;,cpG
,, In large measure not only tar we
fare OF the 100000 miners wn
daily risk their lives in slppiying n
fuel for the nations comfort nm
,, convenience and the welfare or IN
industry itself as an essential rai
OF our future state ana nauonar a,
I yclopmetlt ~