The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1911-03-20

state TIL 4 S now second among the
coal producing stases OF the United
States
with an annual production OF ap-
/ Proximately 100000 tons. every
one. Of which is the equal in quality
OF the Pennsylvania coal and some
], It's superior, Pennsylvania feels
keenly the competition from the lii
Tile state south Of 1t. BY reason Of
superior facilities, superior manage
ment and different means OF
handling men, and not through the
favoriiism of railroads. the West
Virginia operators have become a
factor in the coal trade with which
Pennsylvania. even with Its ire
nendous output. has to reckon.
lAnd because OF the competition
from West Virginia, which the
larger state fees so keenly, the
Pennsylvania operators have begun
AN attempt to induce the United
States government to come to their
assistance and protect them from
the competition Of West Virginia.
The interstate Commerce Commits
sion has been appealed to by the
Pennsylvania coal and coke pro-
ducers to increase the freight rates
on coal from West Virginia or to
reduce the rates from Pennsylyahia.
For more than "a week recently
West Virginia coal producers and
1 lawyers were before the Interstate
Commerce Commission in a hearing
as to the coal rates from West vir-
tginia to the lakes. In few weeks
1.-THE Pennsylvania coal operators and
lawyers will have an inning as tc
their rates and the Inierstate Com.
merce Commission will then take
the entire question under advise.
ment. The proposed advance OF
West Virginia coal has been sus.
pended tin September is, by which
thine the commission hopes to have
found out what would he proper
lIrate and whether Pennsylvania
needs protection from West Viz.
ginia in the coal business.
The jealousy of the keystone
state of West Virginia has been
shown again before the Interstate
Commerce Commission in the com
plant filed iby the Alpha Portland
Cement COMPANY, operated ia Pres
ton county, w. va. In this CON-
paint it is alleged that the United
States Steel Corporation, operating
a company which makes Portland
+, cement in Pennsylvania, has infiu-
enced railroads in which it is inter
ested to discriminate against the
Alpha Portland Cement Company in
order to prevent 1t from selling its
product in competition with that
produced in Pennsylvania.
West Virginia is in no sense a
large competitor of Pennsylvania in
the manufacture of Portland ce-
ment, having, according to the last
published report of the Geological
Survey, but one factory for the
manufacture of Portlant cement,
while pennsylvania has 81 and It's
output is more than one-third the
total output OF the United States.
But, while West virginIas output
of Portland cement is small, Penn
sylvania has learned that the small
beginning Is not to be despised,
through its experience with West
Virginia in the coal business. It's
output yearsya ago was so small that
Pennsylvania, ignored it. Now
Pennsylvania is calling on the
United States to protect it against
the competition of West virginia.
So. in the Portland cement In
dustry, Pennsylvania forsees that
the day Is likely to come when West
Virginia will become competitor in
that industry as 1t has become in coal.
And, If the complaint of the Alpha
Portland Cement Company be true,
Pennsylvania seems to be taking
steps to crush this competition at
the outset instead o; waiting, as it
did in the coal business, till the COM
petition had grown beyond the
crushing point before It took steps
to protect itself.
With the constantly increasing
manufacturing business in West Viz
GINA, in competition with factories
in Pennsylvania-steel and iron
mills, glass factories, machinery
plants and other factories-west
Virginia Is growing more and more
TO be the Industrial competitor of
Pennsylvania and little by little
PenusyFyauIa's iealousv oF n, com