The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-06-12
THE COAL PROBLEM

In addition to furnishing a large
amount of fuel for the use of her al
lies in Europe the United States is
now supplying very large proportion
of the coal imported into South Amer
lea report from the United States
consul-general to Brazil shows the
coal receipts from the United States
in March alone were 27,952 tons
against 5,276 tons of British coal. Our
own figures of coal exports show in
creases to both Argentina and Brazil
for the nine months ending with
March, and indicate that the value of
coal shipped to South America in the
fiscal year, which ends with this
month, will amount to approximately
100000.
The Peabody subcommittee of the
council of national defense insists that
there will be plenty of coal for home
| consumption at reasonable prices. The
! Black Diamond, official organ of the
coal industry, comedies this to be pos
sibIe but fears that it cannot be
brought about. 1t views with alarm
a possible government attempt arbi-
trarily to fix prices but believes that
! if this matter be left wholly in the
hands of the Peabody committee al.
will come out right. In discussing the
situation the paper says:
Beyond question, the coal needed
this year will be supplied with diff
Guilty and prices threaten to be far too
high.
Beyond question, some regulatory
n or
the output. second, to distribute pro-
duction equitably; and. third, to modi-
fly prices IT, reasonable" figures.
With so much admitted by pro-
ducerS and consumers, two questions
arise, both having to do with regula-
ton:
First, shall emphasis be placed
upon increasing production ano
making equitable the distribution
Or, shall it be placed on fixing the
price. leaving the other matters tc
be adjusted by chance?
We have gone on record as saying
that the best interests of the public
are to be served by increasing pro.
duction.
We reiterate and emphasize thai
that is the only sure way to modify
prices
Second. shall the regulatory work
be done by business men who know
about coal production and distribu.
ton and who are serving the natior
without pay, or shall it be done b.
some governmental bureau with ne
fitness for the job and keen only tC
} justify its existence and compcnsa.
ton?
The last is the big question We
favor the regulation by the bushes:
men for these reasons:
The big need of the nation is fol
. more coal, properly distributed They
know how to get it.
They get their power from the wal
! power of the president. They ceast
to exert an influence when the wal
/ ends because the source of their DOW
er no longer exists. Thus the use O.
/ power by them during the war create,
no precedent.
The bureau men, on the contrary
have knowledge of neither production
nor distribution. They would hardl,
I care to try, in the four months re
naming before fall, to inform them
selves. If they did, it would be to,
: late. Therefore, these bureau mel
/ would abandon the all importan
matter of production and distributor
and would concentrate on the on,
5 thing they think they can grasp
t the price.
The double danger of bureau actor
> at this time is that the remedy will
) not meet the need and that, besides
: the nation will have saddled upon it ;
form of bureaucratic control 70
which the coal industry. especially, i
mot prepared.