Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-08-12

erty for the national welfare and are
marching under the Stars and Stripes.
Why Mr.. Peabody was asked, has
the price of bituminous coal to consumers
practically doubled during the past year.
Because the large users of coal worked
themselves into panic, under the man
ipulation of some of the coal dealers. They
were afraid that their mills and factories.
operating twenty-four hours a day on
profftab BILE orders. would run out of fuel.
Consequently they bid against one an
other. At Altoona. in Pennsylvania. for
example. there are a large number of
small mines owned by companies and in
diViduals. A market for coal was held
every morning. Buyers. representing New
England manufacturers were on the
ground.
"An operator Oh a morning, knowing his
output of the previous day, would offer
one, five, eight or ten carloads OF coal for
sale
~ will give s. tom one bidder would
six dollars another bidder would call
out in a loud and confident voice.
Six and half still another would
shout.
Seven dollars. the first bidder would
cry. getting back into the game. and the
owner of the coal. a human being like
yourself. didn't hesitate for ethical or eco
nomical reasons to accept the price.
= <
IF the users of coal will get over their
panic and act normally they will obtain
the coal they require, but not all at once
.around their mills and factories. but there
is no occasion for them to believe that
they will be compelled to shut down their
plants for want of fuel
will the present drain on the coal
deposits of the United States quicken
the coming of the day when all of the
coal shall have been consumed"
''In about 3,2os years Mr. Peabody
replied. THE stores of bituminous coal
in this country he added. have hard
ly more than been scratched. But [
am free to say that we have been using
the resources with which the Almighty
has blessed us like drunken men. We
ought to take 80 per cent of the coal
scarcely 60 per cent-digging the near
est at hand and leaving the rest.
Then the consumer is wasting so
per cent of the 60 per cent that is
brought to the surface of the earth.
1t may be a surprise for you to learn
that the American people are not get
ting or using 20 per cent of the heat
units that are. in the ground In early
days the farmer with coal on his land
would often become a mine operator.
He would drive a drift into the side
of a hill and get the coal by wedging
it down. This method would make a
room. as it was called.
THE farmer would take out the
x
self about the smaller ones BY and
by the roof would fall down and the
farmer would drive another drift. This
wasteful practice of mining was fol-
lowed in Illinois until 1885. Methods
have been improved since then. but the
wastage is still immense. 1 know of
one mine that contained 100000 tons
of coal when it was abandoned. The
earth caved in and the small veins
were covered up. In Illinois, Indiana
and Ohio no more than half the coal
in the ground is taken out. The time
is near at hand, 1 hope. when laws
will make scientific mining compulsory.
"A coal-mining law is necessary, in
my opinion. We waste coal and human
life. Three miners are killed in this
country for every one killed in Europe
although there is more danger. natural
Iy. in the mines of Europe than in those
of the United States. The national
law ! have in mind would conserve
life. the coal in the ground and the
capital invested in the mining industry
Protection OF life is first on my
program. The mines of Belgium are
from $500 to 5000 feet below the sur
face. The loss of life in that country,
before it's invasion by the Germans.
was one man for every loco employed