The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-05-25
. ANOTHER COAL PRICE REVISION


nASlNG the judgment entirely upon known factors
but concedng that there may be considerations which
have not yet come TO the ,g.faos which may make
present conclusions unjust, what went at Washington
with regard 10 TIE new readjut CT the selling price Of
biminous COAL tbs time DOWN. , GEMS to be that since
the railroads have beea compel 10 P-y an honest pnce
tor their fuel they trying to Prove Alt the increase IN
mine revenue because Of the new p5:,y, all be great
that the selling pce to the public, and incidentally to the
railroads, ous.; to be reduced.
They have succeeded to the extent of pstsusd!ng the
government to give the selling price horizontal slash Of
ten cents per ton and in due tine we expect to the
railroad interests make an effort to persuade thspdbhe that
it indebted 10 the roads for the resultant reduction OF
$50 10000 per year. which while It VII! be real enough
to the inning industry probably Will filter down to
TIE Ulite consurer except N few cares, such the
railroads and the other yss Of coal on a very large scale
Two tho-shS vii ,uqz2,t Themselves to most people IN
this connection TIE hrat Is that if the selling price IS
ba;ed upon TIE cot ct mining plus reasonable PROFIT
and tE-t E what e.cy rns operator and the consuming
public have bsel LEI to believe by statement; put forth on
behalf Of tie Fuel administration. gross revenues have
mighty lille influence u2on the rine p-ice under present
rinng oos.i,a-. Some pe.hsp,, but not great deal.
The se;ond + that if making the railroads pay what In
al fairness to oe. con.ucs they should pay for coal
have such marked effect upon the price the general public
pays h.ows great food Of new light upon the price the
public was paying for transportation under the old arrange
ent during which the bankers who controlled the railroad
situation in this country permitted the road; to run into the
ground to such an extent that they simply collapsed when
asked to take or the war load
Il is well known IN the coal trade that in the not very
distant past Of the railroads. through the assigned
system, which permitted them to mace the coal industry
bought coal way below the dollar per ton mark Naturally
there was no profit for the nine operator in such business
but II kent the mines which had these contracts running
steadily and the public which always foots the BILL was
compelled to pay enough for coal to show profit on the
entire operation. be man who did not have fuel con-
tract had charge the just much to keep from
being eaten up by his overhead while his operation was idle
because Of lack Of cars
That was economy as they see il m the railroad Offices
but that we have at last got to thinking nationally
about such matters most any can that was not
economy from the puble's stand point. While the rail-
roads were standing in line at the door of the Interstate
Commerce commission with their hands out whining that
the freight rates too low they were If what they now
Say IS true, systematically gOugng the public; all Of the
public, all the time way which the public did not su-
pect How much more Of this cladestne tribute have the
railroads been exaedng from the puble1 Now that he
matter has been brought up by the railroads themselves h
have q show down all along the line.
In making downward revision Of the selling price Of
bminous on hypothesis that new conditions benefit the
operators should have been delayed until the railroads
have got back spon something like normal basis with
regard power and rolling stock capable Of handling coal
and the equal distribution Of empes has been worked out
practically to the point where the mining industry knows
just where it stands To cut the price now at tune when
for instance the Baltimore and Ohio N spite Of the 9lAaet
efforts Of officials Of he road cannot give the important
coal producing Monongah division full car supply more
than one day week and most Of the days only about