The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-08-28

States sscrairss OF Labor, wiz moi
BE able 70 speak here On Labor Day
SECRETARY Wilson IS booked 10 speal
IN Pennsy lYania.
United Mine Workers.
j. l.. Ballard, international organ.
Ter, is in the EilSins field today.
II. z. Peters, district organizer to.
day IS in Wyatt.
John Custalac, district organizer, Il
in Clarksburg today.
Sanford Snyder. international or
sanizer, Is in the Clarksburg fields
today on business.
Production Decrease.
A sharp decrease in production oil
bituninous was again recorded dur
ing the week ending August 16. the
current report OF the United States
Geological Survey showing an output
OF 9,166,000 as compared with .9.S69,.
600 during the preceding week. This
marked reduction in output is attri
buted largely by the Survey to recent
strikes on the railroads and in the
coal fields which adds that this has
had the effect of awakening consum.
ers of bituminous coal generally Il
the danger of delayed purchases oil
coal.
"The lack of market has ceased to
be the principal factor limiting pro-
duction in most DISTRICTS" says the
report, land car shortages, or mort
broadly speaking transportation dis
ability, is OF greatest Importance.
Mine operating time reported lost
during the week ending August Q, he.
cause of car shortage, was the high.
est recorded in any week since March
1918. Production of bltuminous Goa
in the calendar year to date Is now
nearly 100000 or % per cent be-
hind last year for the same reriod
Production Of anthracite Tor the
week ending August 16 was 1,642, 900
as compared with 100000 the pre-.
ceding week
Ohio Canal Again.
Should the Ohio canal transporta.
ton be feasible it would be of inter-
est to the coal industry to a great
extent. Under the head lines, "ohic
Canal Schemes Revived" Saward's
Journal states tine following:
THE matter of canal transporta
ton across the State OF Ohio is agar
attracting attention, ana now there
Is not only one plan being considered
but two. The iGea OF building acros.
from the netghborhood Of Pittsburgh
to Ashtabula or whereabouts is supple
mented by plea for the development
OF the Miami Canal through from Gin.
cinnati to Toledo.
We doubt very much IL anything
will come Of this agitation. While
the proposition is feasible from ar
engineering standpoint, since the sum.
nit between the Ohio River and the
Lake Ere watersheds Is not high anC
was surmounted by certain of the
earliest canal construction achieved
in this country all work is SO ex-
pensive nowadays that it is indeed
poor time to start any large project
however well conceived it may be.
And getting down to details, il
may well be asked If the expense o.
construction that would be out of ust
for four or five months in the veal
because of ice conditions would BIZ
a good proposition. Like the sum.
mer hotel with its short season, ex
orbitant rates would have to bl
charged to make 1t a financial sue.
cess. And what chance have exor
bitant canal rates against railroad
competition?
Moreover. would the Commercial
world be benefited by canals bisect.
ing the State of Ohio and introduc.
ing obstacles in the course of every
railroad line crossing the state? i
the canal traffic should develop, there
would be frequent Interruptions t.
trains by reason of the opening oil
bridges to let boats pass. AS there
is SO much east and west business
across the State of Ohio this feature
certainly seems wrothy Of considera-
ton.
coaIins 3. & o. Engines.
Coaling of Baltimore & Ohio en-
gtnes at the West Fairmont Shaft
mines of the Consolidation Coal COM
pany began today. A portion OF the
coaltng station was destroyed by fire
several months ago but repairs have
been completed and engines are again
being coaled there.
Miners Will Strike.
Indications are that by Monday the
vast majority OF coal miners Of I'LL
nois will be out of strike. This re-
suits from the order of President Far
rington, president of District IL
Springfield, ILL.,, directing the men tc
retarn to work. The call for strike