The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-06-02
EXPECT COAL TO Be
SHORT NEXT WINTER
Mild Weather in the Future and a Re-
duction Of Factory Work Could
Alone Prevent It.

/ Washington, May 26.--Coai short
age Is inevitable when cold weather
/ comes again, IL the output is not great
I ly increased In the very near future
Coal production has decreased wofully
since the armistice. first, on account
OF the influenza epidemic. and then or
account of lack of orders from con-
suners This is the fuel situation As
stated by officials of the United States
fuel administration.
| The coal production during the frs,
three months OF the present year. by
re ference 20 the weekly reports Of the
Geological Survey, Ia found to have
| been l07, 900 900 tons Of bituminous
| and $4,000, 600 tons of anthracite. in
round figures. During the same three
months ot last year the output of b.
! luminous waS about 100000 tons
and Of anthracite 100000 tons-and
during THAI period OF last year there
. was great Curtailment on account Il
bad weather
| At the rate prevailing so far this
! year the production of both kinds OF
coal will be about 100000, 900 tons nj
lthe end Of the year This Is less tina
the production in 1910. 1t is consarv'.-
! i've. 10 figure that on a normal p sa~e
basis The country's requirements 'A's
year will be at least 600. 5000 tons
The year 1916 can be considered a
normal year in coal production and
consumption, and that year we pro-
duced and consumed more than 500
GOO 900 tons, In 1913 the amount was
nearly 1000, 900 tons. OF course
war productions sent 1917 and 1915
above normal but it is interesting to
note that the figures for those years
| we're 6Si 100000 and SIS, 000,o 900 re-
spcci!vely.
AS experts In coal matters figure Il,
the country is now riding for a fair
to the tune of hundred million tons
shortage of coal next winter. There
are two bare chances OF escape from
this:
Firs,~-If there is widespread idle
ness OF industry and "A consequent de-
crease In consump tion, and also an
other winter which breaks records in
mildness, then we may not suffer from
lack OF fuel
Second~-If consumers begin laying
in next winters supply now and thus
| keep tho mines busy with orders. then
production MAY begin to increase
soon enough to prevent a shortage.
We view the present apathy OF coal
| buyers as a public misfortune" said
John d. A. Morrow, general secretary
of the National Coal association
speaking for the coal operators. Our
employees need more work. as the
mines are running on short time In
some fields they are not averaging
more than two days work per week.
! That imposes hardships on our en-
ployees and their families. which nat
urallv breeds discomfort This short
running time is due to the fact that
the mines lack orders from coal con-
sumers. We have no place to ship the
coal. and therefore the mines are
closed part of the time Business men
| who are delaying the purchase OF
their years coal supply because they
expect lower prices are simply setting
a trap for themselves. Eighty per
cent of the cost OF producing coal is
labor cost, and we have a fixed wage
scale made In agreement with the
president which does not permit us to
reduce wages.
Idle to Expect Fan in Prices.
Therefore 1t Is idle to expect any
general decline in coal prices he
said. The better grades Of coal will
advance. and some OF these days our
short-sighted coal consumers will find
themselves in the position of the late
lamented bears who went short OF
May corn because the war was over
They will all be in tho market at once
bidding against each other to cover
their requirements II we have much
bad weather next winter we may east
~ have another runaway coal market.
with demands for government price
fixing and control again. We coal men
prefer sane, steady business to Boil
sheviki excitement of the kind such a
market would produce. Therefore we
are hoping TO sec consumers get into
the market at once and place their
orders
"A thorough canvass has been
made" he declared, "of the miners by
the National Coal association, from
which 1t is ascertained that on ac-
count of idleness here and the new
conditions arising abroad SO. 900 OF
them have declared their intention OF
leaving this country for their old Flu
ropean homes as soon as possible. This
is in the bituminous fields alone. II
is estimated that s 900 or 10000 more
in the anthracite fields have like in