The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1917-09-27
Operators Would Fall.

'fOat0
Declaration that the small opera
tors of the Northern district of West
Virginia can not mine and sell coal
at the price of two dollars
ton as fixed by President Wilson
under the food control act and realize
a fair profit" because of the advance
In price since July, 1916, OF all mate
rails and labor necessary in the equip
ment and operation of their mines, is
made in statement issued at Morgan
town by the Monongahela Valley Coal
Operators Association. Statistics are
given showing that prices of all mate
rails in the past year have advanced
from 3S per cent; the advance in the
cost OF wire rope. to 300 per cent, and
the increase in the cost of mine cars.
The Operators Association in giving
out the statement says ii is submitted
in order that position and motives of
the small coal mine operators may be
made clear" 1t was also announced
the association will soon send dele
cation to Washington to present their
case to DR.. H. A. Garfield, federal fuel
administrator.
The Monongahela Valley Coal Op-
orators Association has been criticised
in some quarters" says the statement,
for protesting against the price of two
dollars ton fixed by executive order
OF the President as to the maximum
price at which they are permitted to
sell mine run bituminous coal to pri-
vate consumers and it's protest has
been characterized as unpatriotic.
The small operators, members of
this association. and others producing
coal in the Northern District of West
virginia, can not mine and sell coal at
TWO dollars per ton at profit, because
OF the enormous advance in price since
July, 1916, of all materials and labor
necessary in the equipment and opera
ton OF their mines; hence the action
or the government must result in many
instances in the closing down of the
mines and consequent loss and ruin of
their business and investments.
The mines of many operators of
this section were not completed and
equipped for producing coal at the
time the price became effective, and,
therefore, the operators were not in
position to make contracts at prices
of three dollars per ton and more
which were offered prior to the pub
lication OF the Presidents order"
The statement points out that while
the price OF coal has been fixed by
government order, no action has been
taken toward the fixing of prices for
steel, iron and copper, with the re-
suit that the price OF mine supplies is
increasing steadily while the price of
coal must remain fixed. The food con-
troll act, it is stated, provides for price
fixing for coal, but prices of the varl-
Gus. materials entering into coal pro-
duction can be regulated only by vol
untary agreement between the pro-
ducers OF those materials and the gov.
ernment
The statement gives figures showing
the increase in price of mine supplies
and labor in the Northern West Vlr.
ginia District between July, 1915, and
/ July, 1917. The cost Of labor in pro.
ducing a ton of coal, including mining.
/ in July, 1916, was So cents, while in
July, 1917, according to the statement.
/ 1t was $1.0S. an increase of 9S per cent.
! Mine cars in the year were increased
in price from $50 to $500; steel rails
| from $31.50 to $90l motors from 81 900
to $4,000; wood rails from SIS per
thousand to $32.50 per thousand; pow.
der from $1.20 to $1.S5. and props from
eight cents to fourteen cents.