The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-06-21

by Commissioners Davies, Colver and Fort. Chairman Harris disSents on the plan for transportation pool, except as a last resort, and suggests instead that during the war the President be author ized to order rail and water transporta- tion agencies to give preference to ship ment of coal, coke and other commodi- ties in the order of their importance to the public welfare
 An urgent necessity exists for imme- diate legislation to correct conditions, says the report, because the usual spring and summer accumulation of coal stocks at points distant from producng dis tricts lis not now taking place, but It must be made during what remains of the summer unless the country is to face next winter a most serious and an ir- reparable situation"
 Present production of bituminous, or soft coal is 40 per cent under the pos sible maximum, principally because Of coal shortage, the report declares. Con- sequently the extra large production of anthracite coal this spring, one-fourth greater than usual has been diverted to industrial markets ordinarily filled by bituminous coal and coke. Anthracite mines have been given ample car sup ply, the commission observes, "by req son of the close corporate relation be- tween rail transportation and anthracite production" Bituminous mines, how ever, are compelled by the car shortage to operate only part time and many miners are going into other work
 CONTRIBUTING FACTORS
 Contributing factors in the disorgan- ization of coal transportation are the high barge rates from New York and Newport News to Boston, and the prac- tice of lake ships to make trips to the northwest in water ballast, rather than carry coal.
 Discussing the proposed remedy, the commission says:
 If the producer at each mine were paid his full cost of production with al- lowances for depletion, maintenance, up- keep and all the usual items, and to this were added a fixed and uniform net profit per ton with due regard to qual- ity, the coal thus produced at widely varying costs, lii pooled, could be sold through the government at an average and uniform price, quality considered, which would be entirely tolerable to the consuming public, and a price much lower than could be fixed if an effort were made to fix uniform price to the producer It would seem that steady em- ployment fair compensation to labor and capital, equitable distribution and stable prices could be secured.
 ''The railroads of the country if op- erated as a unit on government account could be used to transport coal and other products by the most direct route to their point of destination { i'd the eff ciency of he roads themselves existing rolling stock and motive power would be vastly increased.
 JUST COMPENSATION
 ''All receipts from all rail and water transportation agencies being pooled in the hands of the government, md all ex- press operation being paid from the common fund, each individual company should be paid just compensation, which might be measured by the aver age annual net profit, and expenditure for maintenance and betterments for the five-year period prior to the war.
 'The operation both of the mines and of the transportation agencies could be carried on by the present employees and officials, and after the war they could be returnd unimpaired to private opera tion The rolling stock of railroads, op- erated as unit could be mobilzed so as to care for the shifting seasonble demands
 Attention is called to the fact that Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy and Germany have found it necessary dur ing the war to take over control of their coal industries in varying degrees.
 The commission will continue it's inves- tigation.