The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-15
Chief Mine Inspector Points Out Advantages in Cost
 of Delivery
QUALITY IS ALSO
 OF HIGHEST ORDER
West Virginia Has Had Advantage in Past Because Powerful Interests Have Boosted the
 Business

March 10, there was letter by Holland giving resume of the purchase of large and valuable coal properties and leases in West Virginia by English capitalists and it is presumed that these properties are acquired by them to protect the in terests of the English coal shippers in the Panama and South American coal trade
 This trade is at present of vast pro- portion, and will be largely increased after the completion of the canal It would seem to be the plan, or intention of the English capitalists, who are now supplying this trade, to acquire coal prop critics in West Virginia and continue to supply it. although portion of the ton- mage may be shipped from the United States, In other words, 1t is mova to pre- vent the people OF this country from get ting the full benefit of the increased coal trade put within their easy reach by the digging of the canal
 So far. it seems these Englishmen have entirely overlooked the Alabama coal field. Just why it is hard to un- derstand The West Virginia coal fields are 420 miles from salt water, and the average freight rate all rail, is S1 25 per ton The Alabama coal field Is 25o miles from salt water at Mobile and } Pensacola, and the freight rate, all rail, is S1 per ton on export coal. Both of these rates include putting the coal aboard vessel in tue port On the com pletion of the locks and dams now un- der construction by the United States government on the Warrior river. slackwater navigation the whole year will be had in that stream from the heart of the coal field to Mobile. For tra at seams of coal in the Alabama field are lout-cropping, and mines can be opened and the coal dumped directly in barges
 Estimates on the cost of transporting this coal to the Mobile harbor range all the way from 25 cents to 50 cents per ton. A conservative and safe esti- mate is 40 cents, though I have no doubt it can be carried down in large quantities for even less than that
 West Virginia can produce their coal and load it on railroad cars for some- what lower price than it can be done from the Alabama field but the very l lowest price which this business can be profitably carried on would be g 50 to s2.60 per ton f. o. b. vessel at tide water.
 The best grade of Alabama coal, con- servatvely stated. can be loaded on narges in the Warrior river for S1 30 tc sl 40 per ton. This would make q pricc
  bor in Mobile, where cents, addtiona would put it in the hold of the ship making cost of less than s1 90 per ton , G to 70 cents per ton less than the cos
 or West Virginia coal. a'he distance iron | Norfolk, the most southerly northern coa port. to Panama canal is 1900 miles; while the distance from Mobile is 1900 miles and from Pensa cola approximately the same. The gulf, too, is the safer naviga. , tion
 Insofar as return cdrgoes are con- eerned our southern ports are as favor. ably situated to receive ntrates. phos- plates, coffee, mahogany, fruits and other products of South and Centra America as the northern ports are.
 The West Virginia coal producers led by Senators Davis and Elkins ol West Virginia, for many years have been close to the center Of our gov ernment at Washington. They have been all powerful in more ways than one and it has been earnestly contend ed that Alabama coal has not had g fair show at the governments battle ship business. The capital controlling the large operations in the West Nir- ginia coa, field are also interested ir the railroads which carry the coal to Norfolk and other northern ports. TheN are also interested in many differen lines of steamships The inference is that they have thrown all of the bust ness possible to the West Virginia mines, asserting that Alabama coal wa, not suitable TOT steamship use. Thi! same influence has kept Alabama coa , from being exported to South and Cen tral American ports where coal is use, $ for ordinary steam and domestic pur poses. A little study will explode thi theory.
 The work that is being carried on b,
 Alabama coal in this district if proc ! tial fuel The railroads in this distric
 haul perhaps as heavy tonnage, and dt e 1t as economically insofar as fuel is con . cerned any division of railroads fl the United States. They, of course, us' : the coal produced here on their own rails Our furnaces use coke made from coa ' produced here, and the performance O our furnaces indicates the fact that w have a coal that makes a satisfactor!
 coke. It takes good coal to produce goot icoke
 A few years ago it was contended tha I Alabama coal could not be sold in New = Orleans in competition with Pittsbur, d coal brought down the Mississippi river ' This contention, however, has been provei Il false. For several years there has beel e no Pittsburg coal sold on shore in New Orleans, with the possible exception of ; . few boats of lump coal for domestic pur . poses. Then 1t was said that while W, | might have a coal that could be uses for steam purposes on land, 1t was no at all suitable for steamship use. Thi ! assertion, too, has been proven incor ! rect as many steamship lines in New Or leans are using Alabama coal and hay, | done SO for years. In fact this business there is gradually gaining ground, ant the largest and best line, both freigh and passenger ships, running out of tha | city are now on their second year usin( Alabama coal exclusively.
 II In the ports of Mobile and Pensacol: the use of Alabama coal has been largel, increased in the past two or three years
 Not only has it come about by the great | number of vessels calling at these ports | but many vessels bound for Europe, tha
 heretofore took only small amount o coal calling at Norfolk to fill their bunk ! CTS now take full bunkers of Alabaln | coal to carry them across. It is reporte | to me by people who supply coal t | steamships at our southern ports tha | they get almost uniformly favorable re ports from the vessels they coal. To sur up the situation Alabama coal of satis | factory quality can be put on board yes
 sells at Mobile at from 60 cents to $1 pc | ton less than coal can be put on vessel | at the northern ports. This difference | great enough to entitle Alabama to tn II Hons share of the export coal business o | the United States.
 II Considerable quantities of Alabama coa
 is now moving from an operation nea