Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-05-14
COAL OPERATORS URGED
TO INCREASE PRODUCTION
Council Of National Defense Reminds
Mine Owners OF Their
Responsibility.
CONTINUOUS WORK NEEDED
Government Has Power to Take Over
Industry, but Opportunity Will BE
Given for Friendly Cooperation
Before COmp,IlsiOn Is Resorted To.
Especial to The rimes-Dispatch.l

COUNCIL OF NStlOnal defense reminding
the operators that the government has
! power III the present emergency to
take over the coal industry for the
! general welfare. but that an oppor-
tuni,y will be given TO secure the same
| ends by friendly cooperation before
| compulsion Is resortcd to.
This committee is made up Of coal
men and government officials. and at a
meeting held in Washington on May
participated in by members OF the
council and by members of the COM
mittecs on raw materials and trans
portation. it was decided TO appeal to
the coal producers to meet the situa-
ton in friendly spiri, before invok-
ing any law to compel the prompt de-
livery of coal and tho maintenance OF
! reasonable prices.
URGED TO KEEP THEIR MINERS
CONTINUALLY AT WORK
The address which has been sent
out. in part is as follows;
1--WE believe that tho first essential
toward an Increased production of coal
is a close cooperation between mine
employer and mine employee. and in
asmuch as the United Mine Workers
of America and the mine operators in
several districts have already pledged
by joint resolutions TO the Council OF
National Defense, under whom this
committee works. and have nominated
committees. the services of which have
been offered to the Council of Ma
tional Defense to this end. We now
call upon the several committees to
use their best and continued efforts to
. increase. in SO far as they are able.
q
necessities by keeping the mines con-
tinuously at work, avoiding labor dis
putcs and unnecessary shut-downs.
( The operation Of wcll-cstablishcd mines
should not be impcded. and We suggest
and urge that the practice of moving
miners from the mines Of wcll-cstab-
liShcd producing companies or COM
munities to other districts be dis
couraEcd. as this practice creates a
state OF unrest and tends to decrease
The total output Of coal interfering
with the stability of the industry which
s necessary for the highest efficiency.
! An effort should be made to instill I'm
/ the mind of tho individual miner and
/ operator, as we'll as the organized
| body. the necessity of individual effort
and continuous performance so far as
! work Is offered. The miner or the
! company's representative who remains
at work renders as patriotic ,crvico
! as the man at the front
The total production OF coal
| throughout tho country has been scri-
ously curtailcd by difficulties I'm trans
| portation service and unequal dstribu-
| ton Of cars resulting in shortage in
the number OF cars available for load
ing, as we'll az congestion in the ave-
~. a..
ton. We urge upon the operators that
| they pledge themselves to load all cars
obtainablc in the shortest time after
| the same become available, and that
. they further take up and urge their
Gust omers TO release these cars; at the
earliest possible date after delivery so
AZ 10 make them available for further
! use without unnecessary delay, and
| that all practices such as unnecessary
holding of cars for rcconsignmcnt or
other purposes bc discontinued except
when absolutely necessary for the pub
lie welfare
| MATTER OF QUICK DELIVERY
ALSO OF IMPORTANCE
Transportation interests of this
country have. at the suggestion of the
| Council of National Defense. formed a
committee appointed by the council
| whose duty il is to co ordinate and pro-
mote the efficiency of our railroads and
by agreement with the heads OF the
various railroad companies of this
country the general policy of their OPP
Grafton has been delegated into their
hands. II is the purpose of the COM
mittce Oh coal production to work in
the closest harmony with the commit
tee on transportation and communica-
ton. We urge distributing interests
especially In the centers of large popu-
lation. in so far rs is possible to de-
| liver coal to their customers along nor
NAL and ordinary lines without ere
ating unnecessary ranic. We urge in
turn upon all sucn distributors that
| information be sent to this committee
of conditions in such cities as may be
benefited by closer cooperation OF
all concerned III our effort to supply
all communities with their require
| mcnts
IF il is found that i'll any districts
surplus coal is obta ina BILE at this time
| over and above the actual needs. il
should he dcvidcd as equally as nos
sible and stored in the bins OF the uIti-
mate consumer SO that the normal OPP
GRAFTON OF the industry 80 far as is
| possible may be continuous, which will
tend TO prevent the necessary hard
ships which result from an unequal
| distribution OF coal
! Already the Capitalization in the
operation of our transportation lines
which has been vested In it's committee
has proved OF the greatest benefit to
the coal industry, and we believe that
like Capitalization secured through
this committee on coal production in all
such matters as are furthered by the
co-ordinAtio of all interests will pro-
mote still higher efficiency and be
Of greater benefit TO producer as we'll
as consumer"
Anp)icants