The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1919-08-15
GOAL DEALERS
| FEAR SHORTAGE
Mines Lose 40 Percent Of
Working Time In 1919
tBy Universal servics)

(By Universal Servics)
WASHINGTON. Aug. l5-Therc
an alarming prospect OF widespread
di,tres. and suffering this winter by
reason of coal shortage
The hardship and misery which
will come to millions OF the people
for lack Of coal promise TO make exist
na hardships due TO the high cost
pf living seem insignificant by com
parison.
And YET, although the situation
which will be so full OF distress seems
nes table, unless immediate steps are
taken to gsard against It's rising,
eongre. is showing no special con
Germ about the matter.
II was not until the railway en-
ployes of the country brought the
Conditions of disre" due to the high
cost OF living to the attention OF the
president and congress through
Threats of disturbance unless action
were taken, ,ha, the president and
congress got busy.
Congress Is Indifferent
The present indifference OF con.
res. to the appalling possibilities OF
. great coal shortage this winter in
dicates clearly that no action to
be expected unless similar pressure
10 exertcd. d
Several resolutions have been in
troduced in congress calling Tor an
investigation OF the coal conditions
but they have been allowed TO ium-
ber. There seems to bc little dSpoN-
ton 10 act upon them except under
eompulson. :,
Unls remedial steps shall be
taken without delay, coal will be
higher and much more difficult to
secure during the coming winter than
il was last winter and distress ana
actual suffering consequently much
more general.
Little Coal Moving.
There is much less coal moving n1~
than there was at this season last
wear. II ha. been definitely charged
in-congreS that the present lack oi
market" is a result OF conspiracy
on the part Of the coal men TO keep
up prices. e. ~,
Furnace coal wa. quoted in Wash
inaton today at Sl2.D per ton white
ash at sl2.sS; chestnut a, SlI.SS and
pea coal at Sl08 per ton. There Is
no excuse for these prices except the
avarice OF the dealer.
The National Coal association has
been carrying on buy coal now
campaign with a view to soaring the
public into buying at the extort'onate
price il has fixed
Campaign Launched.
Fifty thousand dollars waS ap'
oiooriated 10 wage this campaign
The principal contentious made IN the
pfopssanda Of the coal men TO induce
cresent buying have been that there
Id car shortage and . shortage Of
jsbor wh!eh had caused and woullc
continue to cause great decrease "
cnai production. Both of these state
nerts have been shown to be ab,o
lutely without foundation by o'ticia
reports Of government, bureaus.
a Mr.. W. T. Tyler, director OF 'h'
division Of operations OF the Unite
States railroad administration in re
porting upon the alleged shortage o
cars to haul coal, said
"The mines have lost 70 TO NJ per
cent Of working time on account o.
no market, while the los, on account
Of car shortage has never reached
percent and seldom ) percent. Th'
fact is that the railroad, are muef
better fixed than they were to'
e<veral years preceding the war
We now have moro than four thous
and locomotives in good repair, store'
and ready for service, whereas at nj
time during the two years preeedlni
the war did any such condition exist
Cars In Bad Order.
SThere are on the railroads unde
federal control 975,8sl coal cars. an
during the week Of June II, 1919, III
average in bad order was only y per
cent, and thi. 9 percent included
large number Of light coal cars ac
tuaily withdrawn from service bu
not taken off the books. Will
figures on the same basis are no
available for the years preceding IN
war, there can be no question bu
what the situation In this respect !
more favorable now than It wa
then"
In refu,ation OF the second eonten
ton OF the coal mine owners tina
the shortage in coal Is due to
shortage OF labor. director Genera
Densn,ore Of the United States en-,
ployment service, reports; -
rhere are approximately lWDU
men employed in and around III
bituminous and anthracite Coz
mines. Ever since the armistiee wa
signed thousands Of miners have bee
IDLE. unemployment has been keer
" fel, in Ohio, Indiana. Illinois an
in the southwestern districts. Pre-
duetion OF bi,uminous coal has d.
creased for the period ending Jur
"a 1919. from 2l2Oo0000 H CON
oared with 2s4 10000 for the san
peYiod In 1918. and the production
anthracite coal from 100000 to ~
000,000 tons,
Mines Are Shut Down.
This is due to the fact that col
mines have been shut down an
thousands Of men have been force
on Of employment. The coal operi
tor aliege that this idleness !, cause
because there has been no market Il
coal,
Unemployment In certain section
Of Indiana. Illinois and Ohio Is sur