The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-07-22

nv Oh the thicagO News, has made nm
intensive study of the car shortage
1t affects the coal situation. A resume
OF his second article is appendedD
Herewith are appended concrete il
lustrations and examples that will en-
able the average householder to visual
lie the coal shortage endangering the
nation:
John Jones has a home. He buys
his own coal and stokes his own fur
mace. He knows how much space ten
tons of coal occupy in his bin. He can
close his eyes any time, anywhere and
draw a mental picture Of a ten ton
pile.
The Pittsburgh Coal Producers asso-
citation is one body Of mine operators
whose rail mines have a rated monthly
capacity of 100000 tons. With light
market for any save lake coal early
last year these operators produced at
their rail mines from January to the
last week Of June, 1919, SIS per cent
or 1,725,OO0 tons per month. In the
same period this year the shortage Of
open top cars has cut their production
to 42.S per cent, or 1,284,000 tons.
What Figures Mean.
Those may be meaningless figures to
John Jones, but he can surely compre-
The car shortage in the case Of these
mine operators has deprived the coun-
try each month since January, 1920.
of 44,100 piles of coal of the same size
John Jones usually puts in his cellar
ten tons. Throughout the country the
car shortage Is depriving users each
week Of more than 100000 piles Of the
size John Jones digs into on a cold
winter morning.
, In terms of percentage here Is the
way production has fluctuated at rail
mines this year in the Pittsburgh dis
trict: January, 55.7 per cent; February,
49.9 per cent; March, 4S.8 per cent;
April. 2S.9 per cent; May, 30.3 per
cent; June, 43,5 per cent; average, 42.S
per cent.
Order Helps Little.
The decrease in the car supply since
June 10, is significant. Within that
period the interstate commerce COM
mission ordered all open top equipment
into the coal service. The order hasn't
generally functioned yet.
It's effect at the mines is Insignificant
as witness the fact that one company
in the West Virginia fields produced
50,950 tons the first half Of June and
$500 tons the second half, during
which time the order was supposed to
be effective.
AS the car supply has dwindled at
the mines the hours Of work have d.
minished. In southern Illinois miners
are talking of demanding higher wages
in order that curtailed production may
not cut too deeply into their pay
envelopes. The number of hours the
operators should have been able to
work their mines in southern Illinois
has varied in March, April, May and
June from 2,720 to 3.273 a week. The
car shortage has reduced the number
Of hours the mines have actually
worked, however, to as low as 9O5 in
one week. In no week in that period
has the figure jumped above SIS per
cent Or 1877 hours.
Miners Seek Other Employment.
As railroad congestion has reduced
the car supply and thus reduced the
hours Of labor a mine worker can put
In at the mine, mine workers have
pulled stakes for other fields or have
taken employment in industrial plants.
The majority of the mines today are
manned by 60 to so per cent crews.
At present the mines are sufficiently
manned to take care of any car supply
the carriers can furnish.
The postwar slack has hit those
VINO nave stay Oll lllc JOD TIC oluc1
mine workers and the foremen who
rose from the ranks will tell you that
the younger men can't be speeded up.
Since the war no one wishes to do
any hard work. We want good living
and plenty of time to enjoy ourselves
they'll tell you everywhere.
The married men stint their families
less than they did formerly, though
prohibition is not the reason either,
for liquor can always be bought some
where. The mine worker will pay SIG
a quart for moonshine as quickly as
the thirsty urban dweller. There's
better furniture in the mine workers
home, his wife wears better clothes
than she did, the children are sent to
school to learn American ways.
Strangely enough, statesmen Of blue
sky stocks and bonds cant earn a
living around most fields. The worker
doesn't necessarily refuse to buy be-
cause he's suspicious; he simply isn't
accustomed to and won't acquire the
habit of investing his saving anywhere
but in bank or in some small store in
(which a fellow worker will take a half
Interest