Evening journal., 1919-07-05
Coal Conditions Have Chanqed
BY AMEDEE 7. CASEY
Editor, American Coal Journal.

Secretary Daniels is considerably ex
ercised because there was not better
response to the Navy Departments cal
for bids for furnishing steaming Goa
to the navy ana has announced his in
tenton OF Communicating enough Goa
10 serve the needs OF our ships for t1i
nrst six moths OF tho fiscal year. pay.
ms therefore. what in the opinion o
the Navy Department is "reasonabl,
price" According TO Mr.. Daniels
definite offers were received for onls
about half OF the quantity required
some OF the largest operators Offering
only a meagre supply and some having
failed 10 sumt a bid The Secretary
goes on to say:
"The coal situation as reflected In
the navy's recent bids. is viewed as
rather dinlcult Of explanation in that
recent announcements from persons
active in the interest Of coal supply
have indicated that the reluctance OF
consumers 90 buy coal was resulting
In more or less concern 10 the oper-
ators as an increase i'm the demand
was needed TO provide employment for
the miners and the desired increase
In production"
What the secretary says was perfect
ly true two or three months ago and
n the navy had come into the market
al that time 10 would have been able
10 get all the coal 70 wanted at com
paratively low prices But conditions
In the coal industry change as they
do in all other industries and what
could have been done at the time Sec
retary Daniels has i'm mind, Is no
longer possible.
70 seems rather futile 10 so over
the ground again. but In order that
the facts may be clear, the situation
is. briefly this. With the signing of
the armistice. the demand for coal
dropped until there was practically no
business at Oh and mine operators
were up against a combination Of big
reserve stocks. unprecedentedly nigh
labor cost and no buying interest
There was only one thing 10 do to
avert bankruptcy and that was TO cur
tail production. which was done
There was more or less grumbling
on the part Of mine labor. as was no
more than natural. but the miners
generally appreciated the situation and
made the best OF g. Some Of them
went into other lines OF work and
thousands began TO besiege the pass-
port bureaus in an endeavor to get
back 10 their native countries. This
movement Of labor TO Europe is much
more serious. than people generally
realize. An average Of 1900 laborers
a day have been applying at the pass
port bureau IN New York alone. Where
formerly four government clerks were
ample force 20 take care or ihe work,
there are now - men rushed TO eX-
iaustion. The men who are returning
10 Europe are taking an average OF
$1,000 each out Of the country and
many Of them have no intention Of
coming back here. ] have talked with
some Of them and they have told me
they were returning 10 their former
homes because they had made enough
money 90 guarantee their independence
abroad under the conditions they knew
when they left and also because OF the
prohibition legislation. The miner will
not work unless he can get his beer
and oil the legislation we can devise
cannot make him work.
Added TO this hegira Is the case Of
the former mine workers who have
been released from the service. These