The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-08-19
OHIO OPERATORS
DOMINATED BY
Selfish PLANS
M a Misrepresentation
Made by Buckeye State
Coal Men.
HIDE REAL CONDITIONS
Va. Interests Allege At
tempt to Drive Them
From Neighbor State.

CHARLESTON, ". Va, Aug. IS
That the Ohio coal operators are at
tempting covertly 10 drive the west
Virginia companies away from their
Ohio business and are using the APP
peal TO the Ohio public utilities com
mission for lower rates on Ohio
mined coal TO Ohio points as a means
OF gaining their selfish purpose. is the
belief expressed by the majority OF
the coal interests of this state.
Because of the palpab!e attempt to
play whole hog" on Ohio NIstness
the loca! chamber Of commerce has
announced that it will take up the cud-
gels in support of the West Virginia
companies and do all in Its power I"
see that West Virginia is allowed to
fairly compete with Ohio in the coal
business.
People Are Fooled.
The Ohio newspapers have taken
up the cause Of the Ohio mine com,
panies and have succeeded in cover.
ing up the real facts in the case So
that the citizens of the Buckeye state
know little or nothing about the real
truth Of the situation.
The Ohio papers are endeavoring
to leave the impression that the
freight rate on Ohio coal TO almost
any point in Ohio is far in excess Of
the rate on West Virginia coal. This
is untrue as in no single case is the
freight rate on West Virginia coal to
any given point in Ohio less than it IS
on Ohio mined coal.
To get at the real. unadulterated
facts in the case. n has to turn
back a few pages of coal history.
Every n has read Of late the I'm.
utterable suffering which the miners
OF the Hooking Valley district in Ohio
have been undergoing. due to the
shutting of the Sunday Creek mines.
II will be remembered that the Sun
Gay Creek company owning mines in
Ohio as well as West Virginia. was
practically controlled by the railroads,
particularly the Hooking Valley. but
after a long period OF litigation the
courts decreed that the railroads
should be divorced from the coal bust.
ness.
Railroad Deal?
Accordingly after a time these prop
critics were sold. or apparently sold.
to John S. Jones and his associates.
Jones and his friends are now suing
for control Of certain short line rail.
roads which. they claim. belong to the
Sunday Creek company.
Speculation Is rife upon a number
OF things in connection with the shut
ting down Of these mines. Many de.
clare that it was done for the pose
OF influencing the railroad companies
who sold these properties to Jones
and his associates.
It would appear that the niger in
the w~ood.pile" in this matter of
freight rates are the interests II
trolled by Jones and while they loud.
ly proclaim that they have no chance
in Ohio markets as against West Vir-
GINA coal. it is interesting 10 note
that Jones mines in this state pro.
ducing a similar grade Of coal to that
produced by his company in Ohio are
just as tightly shut down as are his
Ohio properties.
Mr.. Jones has complained to the
Ohio public utilities commission that
dull business has made him close
down in Ohio. thus throwing hundreds
Of miners out OF work and depriving
them and their wives and little ones
of food and clothing. If conditions
complained OF by Mr.. Jones and his
associates are due solely to the com.
petition of West Virginia coal in Ohls
why is it that their mines in Wesa
Virginia are also tightly closed?
w. Va. Coal Better.
In an endeavor to consider this
question raised by the Ohio mine
operotorS from every viewpoint pos
sible, it is also interesting to note an
excerpt from THE Production of Coal
in 1913" by Edward Parker OF the
United States geological survey in
which he says that only '5S mines in
Ohio may be considered to be in the
first class. as against 81 in this state,
This report also shows that only a
little less than 10 per cent Of the coal
produced in Ohio is pick mined as
against IS per cent of pick mined coal
IN this state.
Machine mined coal is naturally
produced a great deal cheaper than
pick mined coal. and the testimony
of an Ohio operator is TO the effect
that the cost OF coal in Ohio with US
is not exceeding so cents a ton, run
of-mine," this being due to the fact