The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-03-08
PATTON STOPS
l31 CARS BILLED
TO RAILROADS
Roads Were Getting More
Coal Than They Could
Use Themselves.
SENT TO nUHITI0H PLANTS
Garfield and McAdoo VIII
Have to Settle Assigned
Car Matter.

F. ]. Patton. district deputy OF the
NarionaI Fuel AdninistToucn. has
Communicated AL cars OF coal order
cd by the railroads as railroad Iu4
which IS above their needs. Ths'c
we're 1874 cars OF such coal ordered
Monday. liz on TUESDAY. - on Ncd-
nesday and III on ThUrsdaE. II Is
charged by coal operators that inc
railroads have disposed OF surpius c2ai
to industries along their itues Ine
district representative OF the Fuei 80
uinistratiou Communicated the coal
Tor the use of steel mills. po"dcT plants
and concerns cnsaGed on i0J per cent
war work.
This disposition on the part of the
railroads to secure coal under the
guise OF railroad fuel for industries
works distinct injustice to coal cper-
ators. There arc existing contracts N
many instances where producers dis
pose OF their coal TO steel mills ana
the like at price arranged by contract
which is higher than ti!e government
price The railroads secure fCe; at
low price, sometimes lower thEa ;.ctu2l
cost of production. and dispo@" OF It
where the coal would find 4 ready mar
he: at contract price.
The supplying OF railroad fuel by
coal operators is a patriotic SeEvice
The furnishing OF this coal IS G!dinS
The government debt To divert the
caaI to other uses than railroad fue!
Is a course which has naturally c&uSc1
great :adisuation among coal men IN
northern West Virginia.
OeadIeekcd en- Assigned Cars
Railroad reDresen tStir@s refuse TO
yield one point in the controversy Win
coal operators regarding the suSSeS.
ton of directors OF the National Coal
Association that the po!lcy OF assign
ed cars be discontinued. The railroads
are so positive in their opposition 10
the plan that Il is understood that the
government authorities realized the
Futility OF any further conferences en-
The part Of the Two Interests and that
that was the reason that : second con-
terence. which was to DC he'd at Wash
tngton today. was called of.
This leaves the assigned car ma.tor
10 q settlement which will be 2rrarG-
ed between DIR. n. a Garfield. Federal
fuel Administrator. and W. G. Ac-
Adoo. Director General OF Railroads.
It is possible that the two depIrtu! eItS
will get together on the proposition
but more likely that the t%o heG6s OF
the two GoveTnm entail departments
will personally come 10 some under
standing.
DR.. Garfield and the Fuel Admins
tration are believed TO view the mat
ter as coal men see it. 1t is feared that
the railroads may make strong enough
case TO line up Mr.. Mc.Adoo on that
side. n such even, the ruling on the
matter would be difficult TO forecast
at this time Possibly the view Of coal
men that railroads are not disposed
to pass up selfish interests in the adj
vancinS of the Interests OF the govern
ment at this time may he impressed
upon =. McAdoo to such an extent that
he viii override the will OF his rail-
road advisors and insist upon a sys-
TEN OF distribution of cars which viii
10 Ionser give the railroads q Club
over the heads" Of coal producers.
The calling OF of the conference n
Washington today means that there
e not such great hurry needed in thc
sending OF protests 70 NJ. McAdoo re
Earding the regional car shortage in
this region. It was argued that these
should reach the director general in
advance OF today's planned conference
that the position of the Baltimore and
Ohio IN complaining Of the assigned
car system In one connection might be
N connection.
&C. q. Jenkins, president Of the Cen
tral West Virginia Coal Operator.s'
Association, who was delegate &c the
conference planned for today on the
part Of the Fairmont operators. is ex-
pected to arrive In Fairmont this after
noon. He was due at Grafton at 1o:4G
end was expected to 30 to Clarksburg.
reaching there at 1875 and coming to
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