The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1918-01-25
WASHINGTON LETTER
Why We Have Coal shortage-WiII
They Try TO Continue Control Of
Railroads After the Wa,?

They Try 10 Continue Control ot
Railroads After the Ws,2
Washington, Jan. 21.-That govern
ment interference is the chief cause
for the shortage of fuel was asserted
recently by Representative P. p,
Campbell, of Kansas, in a speech in
the House. Mr.. Campbell said in
part:
"Up to this year there has been
no difficulty in the United States to
any appreciable extent in supplying
the demands of the country, the nee
essary fuel for the operation of the
railroads, the manufacturing indus
tries, and the domestic necessities of
the country. Some time during the
early summer last passed somebody
conceived the idea that there could be
an Improvement upon the methods of
producing and distributing coal. The
result was that during the months of
summer and fall, when every coal
mine in the country should have been
worked to the limit of it's capacity,
most of them were idle, waiting to see
what the Government was going TO
permit them to do.
That is the answer to the present
shortage of coal in every city and
town of the country. In Pittsburg,
Kans., surrounded by a great coal
field, the miners were ready and an
xious to work, but were not permitted
to work for three months; those who
were distributing coal were not per-
mitted to distribute it. Operators
were afraid to operate their mines
and pay labor for fear they could not
sell the coal at the prices it cost them
to produce it.
at took the Government and Prof.
Garfield until along in November to
arrive at the conclusion that mines
of the country must run to meet the
demand for coal. That is the reason
why people have suffered and died
this winter for want of fuel.
people were told by those in au-
thority in the Government, DO not
lay in coal. Do not lay up a supply
now. We are going to see to it that it
will be cheaper when we get the man.
agement of it, Instead of getting it
cheaper, the people have been obIig-
ed to pay more for it than ever before.
Why, the people can not get it at any
price. They could have secured coal
if the Government had not interfered
with the operation of the coal mines
early in the fall last year and pre-
vented the production of coal at the
time when it should have been produc-
ed to supply the necessities Of the
country.
"That is the truth about it. If you
want to get at the reason for the ap-
palling conditions that now exist, go
back to last fall and find idle mines
and idle miners and idle coal cars for
months. There you will find the an
swer for the present suffering that
exists throughout the country. There
you will find the reason for the pres
ent high price and the impossibility of
getting it at any price,"
One way the Democratic officials of
the Senate have Of reducing the high
cost of living is by borrowing the SER
vices of laborers employed about the
Capitol to perform work about their
own homes. A prominent Republican
Senator recently complained that his
rooms were not being properly cared
for. Upon inquiry he was informed
that there was shortage in the force
of janitors, and discovered that one
reason for that conditions was that
the Chief Clerk of the Senate had
been utilizing the services of one of
the men at his home for the previous
eight days.
"Brazil is bean mad" declared Car
los de Barros, wealthy coffee planta-
ton owner, on the occasion of re-
cent visit to New York. He said that
the United States and the Allies would
take all the bears that Brazil could
grow at good prices. Brazil is cer-
tainly there with the bean, as the i'm
port figures show. The present tar
| iff law made reduction of 20 cents
bushel in the duty of beans-now
25c per bushel-and the very first ten
months of the laws operation, before
the European war started, importa-
tions of beans nearly doubled, compar-
ed with a similar ten months under
protection. None came in from Brazil,
however, during the fiscal year 1911
and none in 1915. In 1916, however
nearly 5000 bushels of beans showed
up in our import columns, from Bra
zil, and during the last year they have
been coming in like a torrent. The
first nine months of the current years
recorded an importation of nearly
100000 bushels worth about $13 800.
900, the bulk coming from Brazil. And
it is probable that this does not in.
clude all those purchased from Bra.
zil for the use of the army and navy
as where such purchases are made di
rect, under contract, no duty is i'm
posed On the fighting line or in the
floating fortresses the Brazilian bear
can cooperate with bomb, bullet, anC
bursting shell in the war for republ
can principles, and the world will b
benefited by its presence, but if th'
American farmer does not want hi
home bean market shot all to pieces
| by these Brazilian pellets, he had bet
ter bet busy and demand a restoration