The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1914-06-27
v|RG|N|A'S
COAL TONNAGE

ceeding for the first time in its his
tory a total of 10000. 900 tons, West
Virginia became firmly established as
the second in rank among the coal
producing states. According to Ed
ward w. Parker, @: the United States
geological survey, the production in
1913 was 71,3OS,9S2 tons, showing a
gain of ~4,522,295 short tons, or near
ly Z per cent, over the output of
1912 (6~6,7S6,6S7 short tons). up to
that time the record tonnage. The
increased production was accom-
panied by a considerably larger gain
in value, which showed an increase
over 1912 of $9,O79,931, or 14.46 per
cent. The value of the output in
1913 was $71,S72,165. The aver
age value per ton for the first time
in 10 years exceeded 81. The pro-
duction increased in 1913 in spite
of the facts that the labor troubles
in the Paint Creek and Cabin Creek
districts of the Kanawha field, which
began in the early part of 1912, were
no settled until well into the spring
of -913, and the the unprecedented
floods in the Ohio valley in the
spring reduced shipments to the west
for a considerable length of time. A
few of the mines that were closed
by the strike were not reopened dur
ing 1918, and the total production
from the two districts affected was
much below the normal output. The
increased production was well dis
tributed over the state, there being
but three counties out of thirty
where decreases we're shown.
OF the total increase of over A.
500 900 tons, the increase in the
quantity of coal made itno coke in
1913 was only 1885 tons. indicat-
ing that coke making in the state
fell relatively behind. This roes not
ing made from West Virginia coal
Large quantities of West Virginia
coal are made into coke in ovens
principally of the retort type) To-
Gated outside of the state, and in
1918 the coal shipped from West
NhSihio hihC " SOhih6 at uio
tant ovens was about twice as much
as hat used for the same purpose in
the state.
Notwithstanding the increased pro-
duction and improved prices in 1913,
the year was not a satisfactory one
to the operators, and the situation
has been described as feverish. The
labor difficulties we're followed by an
investigation by a committee from
the federal senate, and when the
state legislature met in January
nearly fifty bills (mOst of which the
operators considered prejudiced to
the Industry were introduced and
some of them became laws. One OF
the bills, not in itself of the pre-
judicial class, was a wOrkmen's cOm-
pensation bill, enacted in February,
which provided that l e cent of
the pay rolls should be paid into the
compensation fund, 80 per cent by
the employers and 10 per cent by the
employees.
During the ear an amendment to
the constitution of the state was
adopted, which provides for the pro-
hibition of the manufacture and sale
of intoxicating liquors after July 1,
1914. This is expected to result in
the exodus of some of the miners.
but the operators are hopeful of re-
placing the deserters with a better
class of labor, and it is believed that
the improved accident record of
1913 will be continued with ever bet
ter results after the statewide prohi-
bition goes into effect.
According to the bureau of mines,
the number of fatal accidents in the
coal mines of West Virginia showed
a decrease of %, from $50 in 1912
to 337 in 1913, although there was
an increase of nearly 10 per cent in
the number of men employed. Labor
troubles caused the loss Of 377,405
working days, or an average of 43
DAYS for 5000 men idle.