Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-06-09
Put Blame Where 1t Belongs.

| o ""CAo IL DelonSS.
Chicago Tribune
What the Tribune has been point
! ing out for weeks the administratior
at Washington finally admits. Their,
is certain to be coal famine mex
winter.
1T Is necessary TO point out" the
Tribune has said, "that the whole
blame for the fuel famine, which Is
already looming, must be laid at the
door OF the United States railroad
auiiilhlStra uoh. 1t will
be caused by the failure of the rail
road administration to furnish ths
necessary coal cars during this
spring and summer"
With the admission from wash
ington comes an explanation from an
Official of the fuel administration that
the coal shortage is really due 10 a
shortage OF labor at the coal mines.
We cannot hope for any greater
production this year, even though
the railroads were able to perform
miracles" the statement says.
Before analyzing these statements
IT is worth while to point out that
the excuse offered by one official of
the fuel administration is not shared
by others who should be In a better
position TO know the labor situation.
John p. White, former president Of
the national union of coal miners, is
now labor adviser to Fuel Admins
traitor Garfield. In a public address
In Chicago, delivered within a week,
Mr.. White declares that the 700, 900
members or his union are eager 10
work full time, Sundays and holi-
days to get out the coal Lack of
coal cars Is meanwhile keeping thou
sands OF miners idle nearly half the
time in western and southwestern
coal fields. In Illinois the $1,000
coal miners could dig 10000, 900
tons OF coal this year, instead of the
BO,O0O,000 tons which they produced
last year, but they cannot get the
necessary coal cars.
Such Is the contradictory evidence
coming from the inside OF the fuel
administration. The official figures
OF the geological survey prove that
Mr.. whites contention is correct.
Each week statement is issued
showing the amount of coal mined
during preceding weeks. 1t is COM
pared with what would be produced
II the miners were actually busy dig
ging coal six days a week. For no
single week this year so far reported
has the coal dug been more than
1866 per cent of full time production.
II has run lower than 60 per cent in
some weeks. ~
In other columns the weekly state
ment gives the causes for this loss OF
production. In no single week has
the loss due to a shortage OF coal
cars been less than twice as much As
that due to any other cause. Lack Of
coal cars has been responsible for a
drop of from Il per cent to 30 per
cent in the total production, varying
with the weeks. There has been a
recent improvement in the number
or empty coal cars sent 10 the mines
to be loaded
Next in Importance as a cause for
the coal shortage is lack OF labor.
That item varies from 3.5 per cent to
b.b per cent of the total. But those
figures are deceptive. When lack of
coal cars forces miners to remain idle
several days a week they naturally
become disconnected and seek work
where they are assured OF work six
days a week. Such jobs are easy to
find. So, as matter of fact, most
of the labor shortage can also be !
fairly laid to the railroad adminlstra- |
ton.
Earlier this spring the railroad ad- |
ministration was directly responsible |
for further and dangerous slowing
up In coal production. Normally the
railroads themselves are the largest
and earliest buyers of coal for stor-
age during the spring and summer.
This spring Director General McAdoo
advised the regional directors of the
railroads not to buy coal until they
got lower price than that fixed by i
Fuel Administrator Garfield for all
consumers. 1t took a personal inter
view with President Wilson to pre-
vent the railroads from putting over
that gouge at the expense of the rest
of the country. Meanwhile the dig
ging OF coal fen off aiarmingly and
for some weeks, ono of the hig causes
given for lack of production was
''lack of market"
II may be that the railroads are
doing the best they can in delivering
empty cars to the coal mines, though
that Is not the opinion of many ex-
perts. II remains true that their fan |
ure to deliver enough cars is the |
cause. of the coal shortage which |
threatens a serious coal famine this |
winter.
Learning From Life.