The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-05-31
COAL PRODUCTION .
IS THE NECESSARY
THING" SAYS BYRD
In Letter to Administra-
tor Garfield, He Sug-
gests Remedies.
CONSIDER VIRGINIA
Leaves for Washington
to Discuss Desperate
Situation in State
AT Present.
CONSIDER VIRGINIA

TOR for Virginia. left tof w ash'nS ton
yesterday, where ue VIII tAh" mp WIN
the national administrator, Jr. HARRY
a Garneld. many matters concerning
the coal supply IN this state. Al tAe
conference with Dr, Garfield, he VIII
be accompanied by senator Thomas
Martin Mr. B>rd feels that the peo-
pie Of Virginia should he spprised OF
the existing conditions. and before
leaving he wrote a letter TO the ma
tlonai administrator, copy OF which
he issued to The NirEinian. NJ the
conference he viii do everything IN
his power to obtain an increase III
production. and. failing in that, to Sc
cure more equitable distribution
the letter follows.
"pr II A. Garfield.
u s Fuel Admin istrator,
Washington. II. e,
NY Dear pr. Garneld
The public should realize that the
United states is confronted WIN
coal shortage which inininently
threatens to Interrupt war activities
dtsorganizo fndubtrtal energies and.
perhaps. next winter cause physical
suffering. Including war demands.
there is a need for 65o,N0oono tons Of
bituminous coal for the coming yeArtl
Production under existing conditions
! ~ snsameak~a aaxs 8 sHsosA. noe, TOMS un-l
less production IL Increased many IN
big problem confronting the fuel ad~|
m,nistration Ia 20 accomplish a pro-
auction great enough 10 permit an nr-
interrupted current ~ Industrial life
and 10 warm American homes
production Of coal depends UPON
labor and transportation. The supply
oi cars and In Dor at each mine must
balance without cars labor cannot
be employed ard without labor cars
arc useless II is the business II the
fuel adm stration to bring about this
essential equation. This has not been
done At one time there was m n
sun lctent supply of cars TO many
mines and the workers left TO ma
other employment. Later csts we're
furnished. but there were not enough
Mo.kmen to I'll them, For instance.
in the week ending Nav I. the New
River coal field had a rs per cent car
rhortage and per cent labor snort
age The rocshontas held had Too
per cent car supply and a "a per cent
labor shortage
Thus t, frequently occurs that the
available car supply and the ~>aiia' NE
labor supply are not brought together
sn as to obtain a maximum Prodnc-
ton.
Due 10 Car shortage.
IF the coal shortage lis due 10 car
shortage why are the miners per-
r,ttted to underioad cars as shown by
sworn evidence recently submitted to
YOU IL there liz a car shortage, why
are coal cars used for CARRYING other
freight. and why do not the ron Goa
roads return TO the coal roads all coal
cars instead Of using such cars Tor
other PURPOSES There are 7aS.SSa coal
cars im operation and these vii pro-
vide adequate transportation 10 pror-
crly distributed railroad of clal Is
now In charge Of each coal field ara
they compete with each other for cars.
Some get more and others less than
they need Should not a single official
he rlaced In charge Of all coal cars so
that by the Intelligent and flexible
movement of cars the labor available
IN each field can be utilized to the
limit.
----ne thought and energy Of the na--
tionai fuel administration seems to no
directed rather to the distribution
than the production OF fuel But Is
not production the vital thing? II
enough coal Ia produced to go around.
aixtrihution will largely take care of
itsAlf This much Is certain-that dis
trjbutions arbitrarily ordered by the
national fuel administration based unon
its conception of the relative necessi-
ties of the various. communities II
r,nidly producins a condition OF gross
,reoualitv and Injustice. and IL invit.
Ing widespread disaster The fuel adj
yc,nistration has the power OF life ana
death over the industries of the coun-
wv But what industries are to re-
cAiye the death sentence What states
and what communities are to receive
fh~ bow string? In an industrial
\ system such as ours--a system 70
complex and Observation-Disclosures In
austries are non-essentialT
yIrginia's situation.
''For Illustration consider the pres
ent situation in Virginia. vfrEnias
Y .urply Of hituminoas coal under the
\ aoninr system adopted by you Is OBJ
famed largely from the New River and
y pocahontas fields, The estimated pro-
daction of these two fields for the conf
4 ,ru wear is 10000, 900 and 12.noo.o1o
TONS respectively. You have given or
.,srs to distribute this output as f.s-
1 lows;
ITO New England via HAMPTON
Roads for industries. lt.hho.oao ftnns;
bhy product coal. 100000 tons G, a @.
fuel. 1000. 900: n, 4 w. fuel. ceon.oao
. tons: pu ront Powder Co. tEopeweH.
1900 900 tpns: Panama Railway. ex-
Mport and bunhe. coal 100000 TINS
isiT0tal. 3e.6A0.00e tons
Is You have riyen orders on these
s@sA@las tori sl.snc.aoa more than their
@..tal estirateA production and have
II
IN 5aAF II 4 VI