Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-07-26
VIRGINIA COAL
BEING DIVERTED
Administrator Byrd Files Formal
Complaint With Commits
sioner Garfield.
DISCRIMINATION Is CHARGED
Coal Hauled to Nonessential New
England Industries. While
Virginia Suffers.
DISCRIMINATION IS CHARGED

ministrator n. l.. !5y-d Yesterday again
age In virginia. pointing out that Sinc.
the beginning OF the fiscal year. Oh
April !. to the first of the current
month there has been "a shortage Of
from 500 TO 60" carloads. or $4,000 to
10000 tons. weekly. Mr.. Byrd de-
clared that by the latest available
statistics. being for two weeks end
ing July 13. there was an exact short
age of 5Sl carloads Of coal weekly
This coal was. in large part being
shipped 10 New England. Mr. Fyrd
said. FOR consumption there by indus
tries which he had reason to believe
nonessential. causing the war indus
tries in Virginia to be deprived OF
coal OH which to continue operation.
y surplus number OF bargcs lying at
Hampton Roads was being put 20 use
by the distribution bureau in this way,
he charged. without regard to the rel.
ativc coal requirements of the New
England states and the State OF vir-
ginia. hut only as Z relief to railroad
transportation.
Du PoNT USES ONE-1IiIRD
OF STATES ALLOTMENT
Nirsinia's allotment. as agreed upon.
is 6,lG2.ooo tons for the year ending
March 81. 1919. Of which l.lS20o0 is
for domestic and 4.9S0.o0o for INDUS
trial use. Two million tons Of this
allotment is to go directly to The pu
Pont plant at Hopewcll from the Po :
cahontas fields, and SOC. .O0D tons aidi.
tional from other fields, Tie Du lort
requirements being 100000 tons al
together. While necessary tina: this
company should have this coal, sir
Byrd cites this because OF the irrw-n-
sity OF the shipments there to the dis
advantage OF other like war industries
Tho shortage. Mr. Byrd states withous
hesitancy, Is due to the shiprica. o..
large part OF Nirginia's coal to the
New England section of the country
The shortage Sc far in tho wear is con-
sci vativcly estimated by MIR. Byrd to
be 100000 tons for the thirteen weeks
ending July |. added to $500 tons for
the two weeks ending July IL or i5S.-
100 tons.
III the letter. MIR Byrd recalled chg:
the national shortage had been set ar
not more than 10 per cent for
each individual State. but Mr. Byrd
showed that the shortage in this
State was way above that, ris-
ing 10 +o per cent. Why is Vir-
Sinia called upon 10 suffer shortage
of 80 per cent?" he asks lis this fair
to Virginia? Is ii fair TO Tie nation.
in view Of the important part tnat
Virginia is taking in the prosecution
OF the war? For reasons of transror-
tation you concentrated the Pcnnsyl-
rania anthracite shipments 10 New
England, reducing prcvious Virginia
shipments by GO per cent Should not
the same principle prompt you to far
niSh Virginia from mines nearby ard
within the state. instead of depriviny
Virginia. IS at present. in order thar
shipments be made To New E;nE!and
iHduStiiesr"
IMPORTANT GOAL Is
DIVERTED TO NEW ENGLAND
Of more than 100000 tons that were
carried tc Hampton Roads during June
onc-haif was consigned to New E.c-
land. lie :aid. In continuing, MIR. Ryrd
said he would welcome an iuvrstiEa-
tion that would show the relative value
of NirSinia's war industries in COM
parson with that of the New England
plants similarly engaged. He contend
ed that should IL be necessary taat
industries of equal war value in either
section be compelled to suspend on ac-
count of the shortage that. from AN
economic stand. those in Eir-inil
should be supplied. in view OF IN.
shorter haul from the mines and the
proximity TO the. seaboard for foreign
shipment OF the manufactured article
AS a means of relieving the sit..a-
tion. MIR. Byrd submitted thee pro-
poSals to DR.. Garfield for cunstdera.
ton. The first OF these was a "educ.
iion OF export shipments TO countries
other than the allies. Tn Cuba. ac-
coroins to information that he avaiIeG
himself Of from an authoritative source,
Mr.. l?yrd said there was more coal
accumulated per capita than was he'd
ty the people of this country, owing
to the working nf the export duty.
Mine operators, on account OF the in
creased profit made it practice to
sell all the coal they could to foreign
lands. Not only should the shipmc ats
he reduced, but t.::a eHpor: duty should
be taken off also. he said
WILL CONFER WITH
DIR. GARFIELD TODAY
The second IF Mr.. Eyrd's proposals
TO relieve the situation is that an in
vcstiEntion be started by DIR. Garfield
to ascertain whether the coal is bc!nty
shipped to essential Industries In New
England. The third plan is that thc
practice Of issuing permits for coat
from certain West Virginia feuds tc
come East he discontinued and that
some of the permits that har, already
heen issued be Cancelled 40 "s TO in
crease shipments from these fields to
Virginia.
Mr.. Byrd stated yesterday that he
would he IN Washington to-day in con
ference with Dr.. Garfield In regard TO
the situation. an6 that lie felt c>n-
fdsnt that when all the facts were
known as he has presented them. DIR.
E... iS..s Il EL l. d. \