The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-04-09
Shortage Dc COLL
GIGS Worrying
ADMINISTRATION
Conferences Being Held in
Effort to Find Rem
Niger n THE V00DPILE
Cost of Railroad Fuel Seems
to be Big Influence in
Situation.

WASHINGTON. April Shortage
oe coal cars at the mines HIS become
again SO grave that fuel admiaistra.
ton officials say vigorous action viii
have To be taken at once by the rail
road administration 20 maintain equal
lty supply at all bituminous mines i!
another coal famine next winter is to
& 3e avoided
With the situation more serious
than at any time since the height OF
the freight congestion OF las: winter
md the coal car shortage Seater than
= IN February, Fuel Administrator Gar
Held, Chairman Baruch OF the Var
Industries Board. and John Shelton
Williams, in charge OF the purchasing
division of the railroad administration
have been holding almost daily con
erences to determine relief measures.
With the necessity of supplying all
government needs one hundred peg
cent, and at the same tine furnish
he railroads one bundled per cent
Supply, the fuel administration also IS
urging that non-Sovernment coEsuIa'
ers must be taken care of next win
ter by assuring sufficient cars at the
mines now, thus assuring capacity
production.
BItuminous coal production in the
United States fell of 30.7 per cent the
week ending March 2a, according TO
the latest figures compiled by the
Geological Survey. due chiefly to a
shortage Of coal cars at the mines OF
20.6 per cent throughout the country.
The actual shortage of cars at the
eastern mines ranged from 14.G per
cent at Pocahontas fields to $50 III
the Fatrmont district for the same
period.
Several factors enter into the sit
uafion that are pointed to as alarm
Ing. without cars many mines may
be compelled to close down. entaiiiES
a great loss to labor. besides causing
q fan ing off In production OF coal th&t
VIII be needed next winter, and with
cnrtaiIed produ ction the operators
might not be able to maintain their
present wage scaies. This, it is fear
ed Bould. prove a serious source OF
dissatisfaction.
Some officials attribute the present
car shortage partially to the fact that
the railroads are now in the market
for coal, their contracts with the op-
orators, made before government con-
troll, having expired April l. In pre-
Nars days, the coal operators sold TO
the railroads coal at low prices il re-
turn for, a guaranteed car supply AID
tapid rail movement.
Under government control the rail-
road administration may permit the
railroads to do their purchasing I'M
der their own terms and so far there
has been no order that would proven:
them from using the car guarantee
lever.
As director OF purchases for the rail-.
TOAD administration Mr.. Williams call
ID a number Of coal operators in coli
terence recently and suggested that
railroads contracts, as they expired.
should be renewed on the basis o:
about ten cents a ton profit above the
actuai cost OF producing the coal In
Tome cases operators complained that
the prices railroads had offered for
coal was actually below the cost o!
mining, but that the offer &C fall
supply OF cars for the minas. entire
output made the offer aiiUrug
Nd d II ate e. aclu.,iNI c: these ne
eoti..tic IS was req Sk,ss- and meanwhile
the sst22 =.c was ca'ied TO the atten-
lion of the fuel ad .ai-.istTatiou Goth by
coal operators and min=rs representa-
ives. The miners co1nplain.-T tnai
The mines With railroad contracts. aud
Consequently full car supply a tie
past had drawn SNs-kmel from other
mines IN the Community by offers OF
steady employment AS a result. t:-e
aeishboring mines without railroad
contracts and full car supply were
forced to operate sUc., small proper
tons OF the time that miners left theiI
employment for other industrial &C.
cupations, and caused almost a COM
plete shut down OF the latter mines.
It was this situation which caused
tie fuel administration to suggest to
the railroad administration in the m.
terest OF the fullest possible proGGG:.
tion. railways shcIld abandon ;Leir
practice o. giving prefentiaI cas
supplies to mines holding railroad coal
contracts.
Officials OF the railroad adnninistra-
ton are represented as believing that
because the RAILROADS has passed ll.
DER government operation they can
not afford to relinquish practices
which bad meant economies under
private management. |