Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-04-19

ency of the bonds with which the PEG.
pie of the dual empire are bound to the
chariot of the German milftarist.
IDLE COAL MINES
The grave charge Is made by the
National Association Of Coal Operat.
ors that Director General McAdoo is
responsible for the idleness in Goa,
mines, in Iowa and other coal fields,
which threatens the United States
with coal famine next winter more
serious, than that which demoralized
industrial conditions last winter.
The assertion is made in a bulletin
issued by the national association,
which contains what purports to be .
verbatim copy Of telegram from the
purchasing agent of railroad to q
coal operator, dated April 9. The text
OF the telegram follows:
Pursuant to direction OF pur-
chasing committee you are re-
specially requested to submit to
this ONCE at once bid on such
portion Of our requireme nts loco
motive fuel Of mine run grades as
you wish to supply during the
ing location of mine.
The director general expects
that the price will be materially
less than price fixed by the fuel
administration.
b 1t. Is hoped therefore that oper-
ators will cooperate and furnish
coal at 2 reasonable profit, taking
into consideration preference and
car supply steady output both
summer and winter and the fact
that the railroads are being oper-
ated by the, government to help
win the war
We understand some railroads
have already received such favor
able proposals.
You no doubt are aware that 1t
is agreeable to the fuel admins
tration for you to contract with
railroads for full output Of mines.
Immediate reply by mail solicited.
T Coal operators declare Fuel Admin
istrator GARFIELD never has indicated
approval of a difference in price to
favor any class Of coal consumer. In
stead, his schedules Of prices for the
various coal fields are said to have
been issued with the distinct under
standing that they would not be
changed in any case except by subse.
quent orders from his bureau.
Practically every railroads fuel con.
tracts are made annually and dated
April l. Two weeks ago the contracts
dated April l. 1917, expired. Ordinar-
lily, new contracts have been made,
usually I'M March, between railroad
companies and mine operators, at
prices little If any in excess OF actual
production costs. The railroads OBJ
tanned this concession by furnishing
cars to mines so the latter could main
tain production in busy seasons and
by purchasing coal throughout the
twelve months of each year
AS result of this system the gen.
eral public for many years has been
paying prices high enough for coal
purchased through the retail markets
to allow the producers a profit not
only on that coal but on the larger
proportion Of the years output which
was purchased by the railroads and
other favored industries.
The Courier welcomed the price fix
ing rule of the fuel administration be-
cause It was based. presumably. on
the understanding that the railroad,
would pay the same basic price fol
their coal that the public would pay In
the future, which meant that the profit
taken from the householder would be
a fair profit on the coal he used and
no more.
II the telegram quoted above Is
authentic and IL its assertion that TIE
director general Of the railroads ex.
poets them to enjoy prices materially
less than those fixed by the fuel admin
istration," one of the great benefits
the public was to derive from the ex'
istence of government control Of coal
Is taken away. And II Fuel Admins
traitor Garfield's price schedules are
,uade correctly, the coal operators Of
many fields would be forced into bank
ruptcy should they cut their govern
ment price for the accomm mediation
OF the railroads. for they could not. as
in the past, depend on an extra proi,
from the user Of retail coal.
1t is q strange condition, certainly
which finds one government bureau
fixing uniform price schedule and
another government bureau command
ing that that schedule be disregarded
II the charge 10 well founded there
should be no delay in righting the
wrong condition by the omcials at
Washington. The railroads which IL
the past have taken much OF the out
put of Iowa mines in April are obtain
ing coal from their own Illinois mines
today and have been doing 50 since
April /. Meanwhile Iowa mines and
miners are idle and thousands Of dol
lars are being lost daily by Iowa Goa
interests. Worse than that, however
the country Is facing coal famine
which can be prevented only by con
tinuous production of coal at the
maximum capacity Of all the mines
throughout the summer.
Two paragraphs from President
Wilson's address to the people Of the
United States, last July, seem to have
Ia distinct bearing on the question
raised by the National Association Of
Coal Operators These paragraphs
follow:
And there is something more
that we must add to our thinking.
The public Is now as much = part