The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-10-28
Z HE q AsKIN LIE r
COAL PR SPEC IT'S
By Frederick .. HasIkin,

our coal industry has had to con-
4 tend not merely with conditions
/ brought about by the biggest war "a
4 history. but, further, with an unnsT
! uAlIy mild and mellow autumn. The
4 Immediate effects Of the war were q
I many pHased disturbance of the
WORLDS entire trade IN man ctures,
/ a consequent curtaiIment in produc-
tom and so,san appreciable decrease
| IN the amounts OF coal consumed IN
/ the furnaces and foundrles over the
earth American foundries and fac
| tories shared, TO certain extent IN
4 this enforced slackening. Then, con-
tinued warm weather and hundreds Oh
| thousands OF householders with easy
faith and empty coalbins have added
cause to the; industry's complaint
The condition OF the coal business
has, for some weeks, been that OF
| stagnation. In some sections, miners
have left the mines and sought other
work on account OF decreased pro-
fduction Averaging up the operations
kof the coal fields of the country, one
authority estimates that the mines
/ are not working to more than go per
cent of their capacity. Production OF
! anthracite coal has been medium ac-
tive, while that of soft cnal has not
been SO strong.
While their markets are quiet now.
the coal producers face only the bar
est chance of needing to fret and grow
thin over long enduring clackness
OF sales due to the war and weather
There Is plenty of practical promise
that American industry is not going
to be hit anywhere near so compelling
blow as the early war clairvoyants
felt 1mpel1ed to, warn about Fherei
is q good bit Of indication that many
of our factories will have to hump
forward at an Increased rate IN order
to supply that part of our own peo-
pies products demand which was for
merly taken care of by German, Bel
gian. Dutch and French manufactur-
ers.
America is sizable market, even
when taken by itself, leaving the rest
OF the world out OF consideration: I'm
til quite recently, it has been the sole
ambition of prosperous American
manufacturers to develop this home
market. People here consume con-
siderable quantity of various things,
and they will continue to consume,
whether Europe wars or not When
a manufacturer starts out to satisfy
the American trade, and succeeds, ne
becomes quite as well-to-do as the
average export manufacturers OF Eu-
rope. In short, the materials OF
wealth are here in sufficient album
dance and variety to inspire an I'M
rufied trust in the future solvency
OF the country, even should gold pc
fated to run out and the people to en-
joy their plenty on terms OF barter
No matter how one looks at 1t, 1t does
not seem possible that the European
war can hit American prosperity low
er than the should
So-and this is q matter Of agree
ment among several students of trade
1T is to be awaited that our manu-
facturers in most branches in the
near future will have pretty nearly
found themselves. that their order
hooks will be well written UP and
their plants busy supplying about the
usual home demand, with the largest
slice of European competition left OUT,
and that we Will be able TO muss
along in comparative comfort whetn-
er the bright hopes for an increased
foreign business materialize or not.
And there are good many accept
reasons. practical as we'll as tneo-
retic for venturing to indulge the pc
lief that the greatest opportunity OF
all our history for the expansion OF
our foreign trade is being thrust I'M
der our noses right now.
All this has to do with the COMFORT
and peace of our coal producers. With
/, atiye industry in the process of oil
ing up its normal number OF ma
chimes in the firm conviction that
somebody must supply the cottons,
woolens, the cutlery, steel macnln-
cry. the pottery, glassware, and q
host of other things which we have
needed in the past and TO whose pos
session Europe has helped us ltber-
ally; and with some OF our industries
notably tool machines automobiles.
shoes, planning more machines with
an eye to largely increased foreign
sales-wfth these condit ons daWnfns,
coal producers seem in good way
to selling as much factory and 'foun-
dry fuel this year as last. Late on,
their sales for industrial purposes
stand a good chance for Increase.
The weather may be dismissed with
the prediction that it will grow gen
orally cooler All coal dealers admit
as much, and await an early bright
entng of the trade due to the family
winter needs,
! There is, however, no such unani-
nifty in regard to the future OF the
export trade. Some predictions are
four coal export will be tremendous
lily increased by the present war COLI
ditions, while other experts expect a
decrease, or at best. but a slight in
crease in shipments. Several OF
Americas larger coal companies. new
ertheless, are going after an increased
slice of the worlds trade with con-
fident directness.