Omaha daily bee., 1917-11-30
The Threatened Coal shortage-who's to Bl.mes

The danger OF a coal shortage with its omnou:
threat OF stoppagc for the wheels OF industry i:
graphically depicted in the current issue of the
Railway Age Gazette for the purpose Of showing
what has brought it about. 1T was estimated
after the United States entered the war" it ex
plains, that in order to meet both the CONNER
cial and military needs OF the country, our coal
production in 1917 should show AN increase over
that Of 1916 of 100000 tons, or about II pei
cent This increased production is not being at
tanned At the end of October the increase was
al 100000 tons, or less than 10 per cent ahead oi
that for the corresponding period of 1916"
II that describes the situation, it naturally
prompts the inquiry, why does this condition ex.
ist" The answer to this question the Railway
Age Gazette undertakes to give as follows:
"It exists mainly because the coal producers
OF the United States have displayed sordid
selhshness, want of business capacity and
lack OF patriotism. The railways, foreseeing the
course of developments, organized themselves
to meet the country's transportation needs dur
ing the war within five days after war was de-
clared. The coal producers have not properly
organized themselves to meet the country's need
for fuel. The railways, in spite of the serious.
ness Of their labor situation. have succeeded IN
keeping their employees sufficiently satisfied to
avoid interference with their operations, except
in few sporadic cases. The coal producers
have shown such want of fairness, diplomacy
and capacity in dealing with their labor that
month after month the reports OF the United
States Geological Survey have shown that mines
all over the country have been working to much
less than their capacity because of labor trou-
bles. The railways have been obliged to go on
rendering their service for the same rates that
they had before the war, but during the .five
IL. Al haaA Had
per cent more freight than in the same months
OF last year and in the months from May to
October they transported f8 per cent more coal
than last year. The coal producers, on the other
hand, succeeded in getting the government to
fix prices for coal vastly higher than any ever
known before the conditions created by the
present war: but in spite OF these high prices
they have exerted themselves sufficiently to in
crease their production only about 10 per cent
Having failed to meet the requirements of the
situation, the coal producers are engaged in the
familiar practice of crying stop thief The
National Coal association, an organization
formed apparently to increase the output OF
misinformation rather than the output Of coal
Is issuing frequent statements intended to hx
the blame for the failure to secure adequate
production of coal upon the railroads. But the
reports the coal producers made to the United
States Geological Survey. taken at their face
value disclose very different situation from
the statements being given QUITO public con-
sumption"
As between the railroads and the coal oper-
ators this makes out reasonably strong case.
So far as the public is concerned as coal con-
sumers, they are not so much interested in fixing
the blame as in getting the COAL and if the supply
falls seriously short we may be sure the demand
will be voiced in no uncertain terms that the gov
ernment take over the coal mines and see TO ii
that the output is brought up to requirements