The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-04-13
ARE
TRYING TRICKS TO
GET CHEAP FUEL
Tell Operators Government
Expects Them to Cut the
Price.
IS MISREPRESENTATION
Car Supply in Region Today
One of the Worst on
Record.
IS MISREPRESENTATION

The unequal car distribution alons
all railroad lines. including the Balts-
nore and Ohio has resulted in coz
SANITY decreasing tonnage and VITA
improved weather conditions the out
nut Of tho mines has not increased
which makes the situation even more
alarming than it was IN January ana
February
The car supply today In the Fair
mont district is very poor There nave
onTv been three days in the last year
where It was so bad. There are Only
S43 cars IN the region today and 70
of these are coke cars. leaving go
coal cars and so OF this number arc
privately owned, making the SFano
Isic!) total 235 cars.
Questionable Methods
The methods adopted by some OF
the railroads in their attempts 70 oD-
lain fuel coal on the basis OF pre-
SerentiaI car supply. has led the Ma
tfona1 Coal association to eau the IL
tention OF the government In its bull
Ietin OF April IL to a telegram sent
bv the purchasing agent OF a certain
railroad to a certain coal operator m
dor date Of April 9. This telegram
contains this clause:
'6The Director General expects that
the price will be materially less tnan
prices fixed by the Fuel Admin1sera
ton.
at IS hoped therefore that the op-
orators will cooperate and furnisE
coal at reasonable profit, taking into
consideration preference and car sup
ply, s+2a;J output both summer and
winte- and the fact thai the railroads
arr beng operated by the Government
to help win the war
In otter words che railroads VII.
guarantee a steady car supply in win
ter as well as summer If the coal op-
orators will ''graftateers" and the prop
osition is made under the cloak o.
helping the Government TO win the
war:
The change that railroads are using
government control as method Of
nrofireering seems TO be proven IN
one paragraph Of the telegram 20
which the National Coal aSsoclatou
draws the particular attention OF BIT
luminous operators:
You no doubt are aware that II Is
agreeable to the Fuel Administrator
for you 10 contract with railroads ioT
full output OF your mines.
The National Coal association bull
lstin says this is "a direct misrep-
resenra:ion of the Fuel AdmiuistTa-
lions attitude and that is the under
standing that Fsirmont coal men got
this week at washington when II was
given out that Dr.. Garfield was stand
ing pat Tor an equal car distribution
TO all mines-and that he believed
that if he was not sustained in TINS
policy the whole fabric would fan.
EVER coal association in the United
states is behind DE-. Garfield on this
! 1oIicy and it IS pointed out that no
other line OF business is asked 70 op-
crate at cost-that the coal Industry
Is singled out among all others and
asked to do something which will
ruin it entirely
New Company.
Among the charters granted az
Charleston yesterday was one to the
Fayette Fuel Company of Morgan
town, TO operate mines IN Nfonongalia
county; capital stock, $4,000; lncor-
porarors. James a. Provine of Browns:
vile. Pa; Lewis Lodone. Frank Lo-
done of aiasontown, Pa; E VI. Ever
tlv and Frank L. Bowman OF Morgan
town