The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-05-06
EN 0llEWHERE in Pennsylvania
- I am a Coal Nine.

~ My sole product is Coal! Coal
for which all America is clamoring,
and which all the world must have!
You know what coal is. Coal is the
source Of Energy. s.,.
For the want Of coal few weeks
ago more than hundred ships loaded
with supplies for our armies and our
allies rode at anchor in New YORK
harbor alone. Waiting for Coal!
"A, year ago / was producing, 1,6O0
tons OF superior bituminous coal a
Day. AS fast as I produced it, it was
loaded in cars and hauled away. \
great amount Of it went to, supply
energy. for plants making munitions
Of war which already have been
hurled against the Hun, -,
That was year ago when America
was merely a spectator of the mael-
strom Over There. Today America
il . belligerent. She is spending her
money and her blood in the struggle
to. make. the World Safe for Democ.
racy. j.
What an l doing?
lam producing less than half the
amount of this vital commodity-coal,
that I was. producing last year! To
be exact am producing $50 tons Of
coal q day--some days. i,....
And where. Is this coal going? All.
that 10 Z far different story!, It IS
standing here in my yards for days
and for weeks, waiting for power to
move 1t. Locked UP in my chambers
there are ten million tons of bitumin.
Gus coal; sufficient to provide power
o TRANSPORT all the soldiers America
needs Over There. Sufficient, also,
10 provide power to operate many Of
dc large steel mills near me that are
running only part time or not at all,
Tor the lack Of Coal. Workmen and
operators Of some of these steel mills
hre feeling the pinch. The work
Amen's wages are part time wages; the
operators are falling behind in filing
orders. o.
!, "a. !. NO CARS. NO COAL. j
Millions suffer by my inability to
6eliyar. the goods which have III
such abundance and which I would
20 freely give II it were in my power:
lit / have been at the; mercy CT
l1Gnsportation conditions. And when
7 needed tho railroads most, they
Xel1 almost hopelessly@ crippled by
blIlzlrd conditions unlike anything
G(Ot kA1 faced In decades. There
6SfS 1v0n times when men left my
Work. IT my request and went out
and ShO7oI4d driftsd snow from the
tracks, tbs switches and the mouths
Epf tunl,::s until trains could move
@aksA.. 49,
i ! have. been given a car rating by
tne faslf0aob. Jnay.o, ~ r.O,iue cars
to take all my products away, the
railroads have told ME | should have
only 90 many cars day anl have
Had to fix my production accordingly.
And after having fixed my car rating,
the railroads have not been able to
provide me with the cars that they
have said l am entitled to. y
They say am entitled to fifteen
cars 3 day, and thereby my produc-
ton, formerly 1900 tons day, is
cut to $50 tons, day.
Let me 60 back again into last
years records and make some COM
PARSONS. At the beginning Of last
year there were 29O men working in
my chambers. They worked steadily.
They made full time. They worked
eight hours q day and they produced
1880 tons Of coal day. Today there
lre 149 men employed During Janu-
Rry those 149 men, made an average
Of three and q half hours day and
they produced just little less than
331 tons day on the average.
Now you can begin to see what is
happening to make my men leave
ind seek other places to work. Let
ne show you some. figures that talk.
Here's what. happened in January,
1918: On January 2, I receive. eleven
cars; they were loaded quickly and
rolled down into the yard. On Jan.
nary :, ! got eight cars. In about half >
], day they were loaded and rolled