The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1913-07-15
Railroad Companies Reap the
Harvest

IJAIhNipdi bCilSllNltNllS o VI viz Wal
mining and coke making indus
tries of West Virginia are the
transportation companies, ac-
cordlng to the United States geo.
logical survey, which has just is
sued q statement on coke produc-
ton in West Virginia, prepared
by Edward w. Parker. A just
return for the coal and coke pro
ducts Of the state is not received
by the producers Of these com
modities, according to the same
authority, nor does the state &C.
cupy the position it should hold,
with the enormous quantities of
the very best coal within its Dor
derS.
Attention has frequently beer
cctlcd by Mr.. Parker, local sta
tisl.ciau Of the United States
geological survey, to the fact
that West Virginia has the finest
coal in the United States yet gets
the lowest price for it. He has
also called attention to the losses
which result from the failure of
the coke producers Of the state
80 use modern methods of coke
making. so as to save the by
products, and it has been shown
from his figures that something
like seven million dollars a year
could be added to the profits on
coke IN the state if by-product
ovens were used in place of the
old bee hive ovens. Now he
calls attention to the fact, based
on figures for 1912, that the
production of coke in West V,r-
ginia is declining, because the
Goals are shipped to other states
and there, after paying transpor-
tation charges are made into coke
with a saving over the making of
coke at the mines in West Vir-
ginia in the old fashioned ovens
still used in the state.
The failure to utilize the cCa
and coke Of the state at home
and the custom of shipping both
coal and coke away to enrich
other states, resulting in the
producer not getting what he
should out of either his coal or
lis coke, may be found to be the
basic cause of the strikes which
have made West Virginia noto-
rious in the last year. A home
market for coal and coke and
more economical methods Of pro-
ducing coke might result in such
increased profits that wage ques-
tons and others involved in the
strikes might be averted entirely,
and there would be no more de-
mand for martial law or govern
ment investigation. Such is the
inference which may be drawn
from the latest statement Of Mr..
Parker, for the geological sur
vey.
The quantity of coke made in
West Virginia in 1912" said Mr..
Parker today, was 1853
short tons, valued at 81, 500, 1893,
compared with 1891, O49 tons,
valued at $4,23G.845 in 1911.
The increase in 1912 was 7.64 per
cent in quantity and 1915 per
cent in value. In spite Of this
increase, the production Of coke
in West Virginia in 1912 was
smaller than that OF any year
from 1905 TO 1910. The smaller
production in the last two years
is attributable simple to the lar
ger production of coke from
West Virginia coal at plants i'm
other states. In 1912 the guam
tity of coal made into coke i'm
West Virginia was 1901 7O2
short tons. 1t is probable that
the quantity of West Virginia
coal made into coke i'm ovens out
side of the stat exceeded So. e.
100000 short tons.
In the coke making, as in the
coal mining industry West Vir-
ginia suffers from having rela-
lively little home consumption for
her products. Fights per cent
of the coal mined i'm the state
and nearly al of the coke made
is sent to consumers in other
states.
Next to Pennsylvania West
Virginia possesses more wealth