The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-09-16

disaster which win furnish q ayoraple'
medium through which to increase the,
prices. / am apprehepsive about that
feature that transportation difdcul-
ties, which are inevitable, will be so
stressed as to put the pubic in state
Of mind where 1t will stand for in
creases in prices which ii ought MOI
to stand toT."
In this statement Mr.. Hines practi-
cally charges upon the coal trade OF
the country a lack of honor and integ-
rity which, to say the least, does no;
set well when coming from manage
ment which has so signally failed in
the handling OF the railroads OF the
country Apparently in order to OBJ
scure the situation and prevent the
public from learning why coal will be
scarce, Mr.. Hines undertakes to
charge that the coal people will use
the shortage Of carr as a basis for I'M
justified prices for coal, and he says
that he is "apprehensive" that the
transportation difficulties will be so
stressed as to create state Of mind
which will stand for increases in
prices which the public ought not tc
stand for.
That is exceedingly thoughtful and
considerate on the part of Mr.. Hines.
1t indicates that he regards the dear
public" with intense interest, over
looking or trying to hide the short
comings of the railroad situation in en-
deavoring to create in the public mnd
an impression that the 1!Nn prices
which might follow the shortage of
coal will be due to the sinful coal men
and not to be inability of the railroad
to deliver the coal
Moreover, Mr.. Hines makes another
statement quite unworthy of govern
ment official in dealing with thousands
Of the leading business men of the
country. In this statement he says
I'VE cannot get away from the fac
that where nine operator is in doubt
as to the cause to which he can prop
erly attribute any failure of his mine
to produce the full amount of coal, /;
is human nature for him to attribute
it to cause for which he is not re-
sponsible think tie tendency al
ways will be that the operator. When
the matter is left entirely to his own
judgment, will resolve all doubts by
charging that shortages of production
are due to car shortages. want to
make it clear that don't CLAIM that
any operator would deliberately mis-
represent the facts, but where it is
matter involving clements of doubt, it
is human nature, if man is left to his
own judgment, to resolve the doubt
so as to shift the responsibility.
We wonder if it ever occurred to MIR
Hines to suggest that when the rail
roads are unable 10 deliver the Goa!
every railroad official in the country
is so lost to honor as to try to throw
the burden of responsibility on some
body else by definitely misstating the
conditions which brought about this
situation? That is about the way he
seems to regard the coal men.
Recently Mr.. Hines, in attempting
to defend the railroads from the
charge of lack of cars for coal, stated
that during the first six months of the
calendar year, the railroads had con-
sumed $4,000, 900 tons less of coal than
the corresponding six months of last
year. Later on, however, he discovered
that this was an estimate, pure and sim
pie, relating to what it was thought
would be the decrease in coal consump-
ton by the railroads for IL months.
and that the decrease for the first six
months Of the year was t3,764.000 tons
instead of 26,000000 tons which he had
gwen as his estimate fos
the year. In this case Mr. Hines ad
nits that by reason of an office MS
take he was only so per cent. out of the
say. 1t seems to us that his charges
against the coal operators of the coun-
.ry are good Zeal more than 80 per
cent. out of the way.
Mr.. Hines again returns in the course
If his letter to the price of coal and !;
On this point he says:
"The fourth point have in nina !
s with reference to transportation diff /
'iculties. My judgment is that we will
overcome them to the extent of trans
porting the coal which the country
1eeds, but these difficulties will be
themselves all during the {
year. There will be a most favorable
opportunity for stressing those trans {
difficulties, creating the i'm {
preston that there is going to be a {
serious shortage of coal, and, therefore, I
hat coal had better be bought at a {
higher price rather than take the !
chance of waiting. think, therefore,