The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1917-09-24
Editorial Comment
on Current Subjects
CAUSE OF FUEL SHORTAGE AMI
HIGH PRICES.
Thos, X. Maher in Coal and Coke ops

HUH FhISES
Thos. K. Maher in Coal and Coke Opel.
ator.
After witnessing all of the more or
less stirring events in the coal trdtc
| hereabouts, and also in the National
and State capitols during the past Year,
an unbiased observer must be con.
WINGED that the price of coal is nor
NAL and without manipulation. In fact
we are convinced the observer who
stated that the trade was progressing
absolutely true TO form had given the
situation close attention and mature
judgment,
Let us look at the facts and see II
the present socalled abnormal coal
situation is not perfectly normal con-
dition, perfectly natural condition,
and a condition tina was foreseen by
those who took the pains to look he
situation plainly in the face. and also
condition that is altogether likely to
obtain for long period, period at
least extending until two years after
the termination of the present world
war.
In the first place it will be recalled
that the official reports issued by the
Geological Survey disclose that the bi.
luminous coal industry was ameu.a
bly, and VIGOROUSLY Improbable foe &
period of 10 years prior to 1916, and,
as natural consequence OF this coudi-
ton, development did not keep pace
with the average growth i'll all othel
branches of industry.
The world war came suddenly, anu
practically all immigration from Lu.
rope was arrested and, in addition,
thousands of Austrian, Polish, Italian
and other miners who had not become
naturalized citizens OF the United
States were called to the colors and
embarked for their native lands; Tue
steel, copper and allied industries, ait
er some hesitation, gradually revived,
and were finally speeded up to de.
gree Of activity unknown before.
The demands Of the allies called for
such unprecedented amounts of steel.
copper and explosives, automobile
trucks, etc., that a veritable boom in
building of new factories and homes
for their workmen resulted in a speed
ing up in the building industry. BY
the time the war was in progress Is
months business in all departments
was going at an unprecedented pace
The transportation system OF tho
country, once the wonder of the world,
began to show signs of distress as a
result Of unwise and short-sighted reg.
ulation which prevented it from de-
veloping sufficiently to take care Of in.
creased industrial requirements rail.
road congestion at practically every
industrial center in the country ana On
all railroads east of the Mississippi
put In an appearance. Under these
circumstances 1t possibly was natural
for the railroads, when they found
themselves unable to furnish all the
transportation wanted, to select that
which paid the highest rates. At any
rate, from whatever cause, the mines
were only furnished sufficient cars for
half operation and the visible surplus
OF bituminous coal was slowly but
surely vanishing.
The large buyers Of coal, accustomed
for years to telephoning the nearest
coal office for their requirements, sud.
denly discovered that buyers from SEE.
tons more remote from sources of SIP
ply had bought all the available sup.
plies. Coal was moving from mines
slowly and in ever decreasing quaint.
ties; the severe winter and scant an
thracite supply threw burden on
natural gas that soon exhausted the
supply of that ideal domestic fuel: the
smokeless and other high-grade Goals
were diverted to admiralty purposes
and to industries along the Atlantic
Seaboard which had obeyed the call of
full steam ahead to satisfy the never
ending call for more supplies from
abroad. Steam coal, which had never
been used as a domestic fuel, was in
great demand all through the middle
west, northwest and in Canada, and,
by the first of the year 1917, an I'm.
precedented demand was experienced,
with prices unheard of since the year
OF the great anthracite strike.
All kinds Of Investigations. Federal,