The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-08-14
By uniting ne stand, b. dividing ne fsA.
Then join IN hands. brave Americans all,
BIG CITY PAPERS AND COAL OUTPUT.


W/AY down in the last paragraph Of a long editorial
w commenting upon the Presidents coal production
proclamation the Baltimore Sun mentions the fact that
DE coal problem is not merely Of production, but is
also matter Of transportation and distribution And The
Sun thinks The Fuel administration and the operators will
have 10 ask some sOrt Of a working agreement with the
Railroad administration to enable them to do what the
President requests.
That will cause a wry smile wherever it j, read by
Fuel administration man or a coal operator The coal
operators have been trying to get the railroads TO wake
Up 10 he Importance Of taking care of the coal traffic
ever since he United States entered the war As matter
Of TACT systematic effort tc square deal for coal
began year and half before that but never has all this
pleading, threatening and sitting up nights with the prob
lens produced anything substantial than promises
which The railroads broke It suited their
vtnienee to do it.
IL The Sun wants to know just how the inadequate trans
p6alon facilities react upon the production of COAL lei
L take he record Of the Famont region for last week
when, because there blockade of loaded coal cars
o he east there practically no emptes the mines
For most Of the week the supply lowered around the
700 mark and on no day did rise above 900. That
meant thousands Of tons Of potential production lost thou
sands Of non-productive hours for the miners Yet on
Monday Of this week when there plenty Of cars the
production was AIS cars, only 900 of which, however
eoo 70 east WneTe tne most OF the plants producing NUM-
hons located because of restriction, on shipping imposed
By The Baltimore and Ohio
In The past year weeks like that have happened so often
that only tie statscanS at the offices Of the coal opera
loB associations have any adequate record Of it, Idene
due 10 lack Of empies has become commonplace in the
c6a regions and the operators are beginning 10 ask them
ees whether It pays keep up the continual kicking for
better treatment Under the circumstances il 1ikes this
Newspaper that the consumer and the newspapers in the big
cies whose writers eloquent when they talk about
BE importance Of full production Of coal ought to do little
ot he asking for some sort Of a working agreement with
he Railroad administration" regarding the transportation
and Distribution Of coal.
Peppers like The Sun helped to pound the ship building
mudde INTO shape and they ought to help with the coal
transportation muddle which is now as they well know.
qsl IS important the building of ships was last winter
The Railroad administration without any important add
ton b is rolling stock its motive power and absolutely
10 improvement in tracks, yards and terminal facilities is
tying 10 carry the whole load without giving preferential
treatment 10 anything but war Shpmenls-and war ship
mene probably constitute volume as large as the whole
transportation effort in any Of the years just previous to
he breaking out Of the great war
The undertaking is a manifest absurdty The danger
81 would be apparent to any railroad man able to pull
himself out Of The nut The Railroad administration seems
utterly unable to do that 1t pinning its faith on opera
ns reforms and the cutting Of red tape What needed
s some major surgery and is the duty Of the big city
ntspaptS to make the who are operating the trans