Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-11-19
VARYING COAL PRICES

There is material for a good deaf Of thought in the
findings and suggestions Of Or. Manning, director Of the
federal bureau Of Mines at the mining congress in st.
Louis. The bureau has been conducting an investigation
Of conditions surrounding the production Of bituminous
ceal and some Of the facts presented are Of general inter-
st just at this time. So
1t is found,that soft coal miners work, on the aver
age. in the neighborhood Of 22o days a year, or a little
,etter than %two-thirds Of the possible working time.
This is not news, as the fact has been generally under
'tood, and attention has been directed to it afresh dur
ng the past few weeks in connection with the coal strike.
IN the several statements made concerning working con-
litions various reasons have been assigned for the lack
Vt continuous employment Of miners. Occasionally this
has been attributed. at least in part, to the Discrimination
Of the miners to work. Some of. the Spokesman Of the
miners have charged the operators with responsibility
for the irregularity, and have alleged that the owners
deliberately choose to restrict, production in this manner
IN order to maintain high prices for their product. Some
If the mine owners, on the other hand, while admitting
that the activity of the mines is not constant, place the
responsibility on the railroad administration. asserting
that not enough cars have been provided for them to
make their shipments. Dr. Manning does not attempt
20 decide as to any Of these charges, but he points to still
another cause. which he regards as of prime importance.
This cause, he says. is beyond the control Of either min
es or owners, and, while he does not mention the rail-
roads, his argument would as also absolve them. He
refers to the well known fact that consumers restrict
their purchases Of coal in the spring and summer months.
Because of the conditions surrounding the industry the
mines restrict their output in response to diminished de-
mand, and miners are idle.
Efforts have been made in the past to overcome this,
and inducements were offered in the shape OF. reduced
prices in the spring to encourage larger purchases at that
season. Just how this plan. which prevailed quite gen
orally until shortly before the war. worked out we are
NOT informal nit uriv~ +h> wer oorio al .,e~. 1900
5linmering. DR.. Manning urges a revival OF the plan
now as a means Of bringing about more continuous oper-
alton Of the mines. -
To an outsider It seems that there should be no great
difficulty in the application Of this policy to an industry
which, from its nature. is so capable Of Standardization
as is the coal mining industry. Tho demand for coal
can be forecast with tolerable accuracy for i consider
able time In advance: There are no natural obstacles in
the way Of constant production. The coal is there, and
the output is not affected by the weather, the state of
the roads, or anything similar. to the variable conditions
which affect agricultural production, for instance. It
the years output, and with that basis determined, sum-
mer and winter prices could be graduated so as to stim-
ulate purchases in what is now the dull time of the year.
Two things would be accomplished. blythe. success
assured of more constant employment, and the public
would be better served through avoidance of congestion
of orders at the time when, throughout a large part of
the consuming territory, distribution is the most difcult
and costly.