The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-12-12
MIR. PROUTY
is INTERVIEWED
ON COAL STRIKE

q - a t
Hon. C. A. Prouty of Newport,
who, as director Of valuation for the
Interstate Commerce Commission,
has the task Of keeping track of the
values of the railroads of the United
States, amounting to about twenty
billions of money or nearly the
amount of the war debt, was at the
Hotel Vermont last week and was in
terviewed by a Burlington Free Press
reporter regarding the statements
that the coal miners were able to
work only a small part of the time
because of the scarcity of coal cars
and the equipment of hauling them.
Mr.. Prouty stated in answer that
during the month preceding the coal
strike, more coal was mined than IN
any previous month in history and
the railroads had the mines practi-
cally cleaned out of mined coal when
the strike went on. Of course in
order to have plenty of coal cars dur
ing the three most severe months OF
the year., the railroads would be COM
PEELED to make a big investment in
stock which could be used only a
short time and would lie idle for nine
months. People to a large extent
buy coal only as they need it and do
not buy ahead in sufficient quantities
to keep the cars busy.
Mr.. Prouty stated further that
the coal miner was a peculiar ami
NAL" A large percentage of them
work only when they have to and
when the wages are higher the
amount Of work put up by them is
likely to show a decided decrease.
In other words, the miner goes back
to work when the money runs low,
therefore his efficiency varies almost
inversely with the amount of money
paid for his labor. Mr.. Prouty's
force is now engaged in computing
figures by which the e;ciency can be
a~scertained in the employees of the
railroads. .
The force employed in the valua-
ton of tn property in charge of
Director-Genera Hines and assisting
MI. Prouty in his work is about
1000. The valuation was taken as
it was in 1914. Stock purchased
since that time is added and that
discarded is substracted. The num-
Der of new locomtives purchased by
the railroads of the contry would be
approximately 5000 per year. In the
last two years about that number has
been bought but almost none has been
relegated to the scrap heap. The rea-
son for this is that the buying OF
cheap locomotives has been discon-
tinued and the heavier types stand up
a long time. The same thing is true IN
a sense of the freight cars. The num-
Der purchased in normal times Is
about 100000 per year and the num-
Der being bought now is much less
but the life of a freight a can be
prolonged indefinitely by repairing
first one part ands then another, and
The number put in scrap now is small
In speaking of the present situa-
ton. Mr.. Prouty said that one and
the main trouble was that the
country had TOO much money. Things
will not get back to normal until
foreign competition comes in and
equalies business. He is heartily in
favor of paying off q part of the war
debt by assessing those who made
great fortunes out of the war. This
could easily be done, in his opinion,
by Congress. The statement has been
made that the war made 10000 mil
lionraies. This is probably about
true. These, with the hundreds oil
thousands who made fortunes which
did not reach a million, could do
much to pay off the debt and pull
ing down some of this wealth which
was made overnight would be a good
thing for the country.