The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-05-05
uation tustifies, without any further
Car Shortage Expected.

nation tustties, without any further
Car Shortage Expected.
That there is apt to be car short
age unless effort is made to repair
coal cars and the condition expert
enced during the winter of 1917.191S
may be repeated next winter is the be-
lief OF George T. Watson, assistant to
the president of the Consolidation Coal
company. Continuing Mr.. Watson
says: Everyone expected business
slump at the close of the war, the same
as they now expect the greatest boom
in all lines of business that the coun-
try has ever experienced. The period
of depression, due to readjustments,
will soon be a thing Of the past"
Examinations Here.
In Masonic Temple, this city, on
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday,
May 10, IA and Is, mine foremans'
and fire boss examination will be held
under the direction of the Department
of Mines. The examination for mine
foremen will be held first and after
that is completed the examination for
fire boss will be taken up.
w. ]. Heatherman, chief of the De-
partment of Mines, will be in charge.
He will be assisted by w. H. Riggle-
man, of Fairmont.
Back on Old Job Again.
C. H. Riggleman, of Fairmont, has
resumed his former work as mine in
spector OF the Fairmont region. He
has relinquished the duties he had in
the rescue service.
James o. Golden, the mine inspec-
tor of the Fairmont district, has re-
moved to Morgantown to become in
spector of the Morgantown district.
which was one of the new districts
created under the redistricting Of the
state.
State Wide Improvement.
There was a statewide improvement
in the coal business during April. Max
H. Tomb, secretary of the Kanawha
Coal Shippers Association, Charles
ton, says that there is gradual in,
crease in lake business and that the
production in the majority OF the dis
tricts in West Virginia is up to so per
cent. of normal.
P. G. L. e. Haulage OF.
February coal and coke tonnage
handled by the Pittsburgh and Lake
Erie r. R.. showed marked falling
off from the figures for 1918. For the
second month of 1919. the road orig
mated 336.1S2 tons of revenue and o..
$50 tons of company bituminous coal
and 1851 tons of coke, against 1884,
331 tons. 1866 and 1882 tons, re-
spectively. in February, 1918. Ton.
mage received from connections total
ed 1,065 ,597 tons including 4S tons of
anthracite) in 1918 and only S6S,446
tons this year The February, 1919,
tonnage received from connections
was divided as follows: Revenue b.
luminous, 422,S17 tons: company fuel,
27.06S, and coke, 41S,561 tons.
Expect Labor Shortage.
Indications. are that notwithstand-
ing the influx of returning troops the
United States is rapidly approaching
a serious shortage OF labor. Reports
to the United States Employment Blu
reau show that within the fortnight of
April to 10, inclusive. the number of
unemployed reported to the Service
throughout the country decreased so
per cent. On April IL there were 1885,
sos persons unemployed in So cities:
on April 10, the Department of Labor
reports the number of unemployed in
the same cities was 59,957.
The unemployment reported above
existed in 81 cities of the SO reported.
Six cities reported a labor shortage of
$500 persons the remainder reported
equality of supply and demand. The
principal decreases in surplus labor
during the week were at Los Angeles.
1000; San Francisco, 1900; Meriden
Comm, 5000; Atlanta, 1000: Butte,
1000; and Portland (Ore.), 1900.
The Local Prices.
The Weekly Digest reports the fol-
lowing conditions in the Fairmont
field: "In the Fairmont, West vir-
ginia, field, operators reported spot
sales of prepared sizes uniformly at
$2.75. Mine run sold at from $1.S5 to
s2.65, with contract sales reported at
$3.50, S255 and, in one instance down
TO S1.S5. The bulk of the mine run
spot tonnage moved at price ranges
between $215 and S235. Slack sales
were made at variations from $150 to
S2.25, with large shipments made on
contract at $1.75 and shipments o.
smaller quantities at S225."
Production Decrease.
Bituminous coal production in the
United States during the week ending
April 10 is estimated by the Geologic.
cal Survey at 7,403,0O tons, a decrease
of $4,000 net tons, or approximately
per cent, from the output for the
week ending April IL. During the