The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-04-24
Labor Policy Of the District
WILDE Contin- !
ued.
BUYERS ARE IN REGION
Scarcity Of Commercial Coal
Is Driving the Price
Up.

It was learned here today that the
Penn-Mary Coal company. subsidiary
pf the Bethlehem Steel Corporation,
win operate its Preston county opera
lions entirely separate from its mines
ht Barrackville and Dakota, which
were acquired from the Jamison Coal
and Coke company early this week, be-
ing known in the past as Jamison Nos.
Z and 10.
The Bethlehem Steel Corporation
has sought TO take care of It's future
needs of fuel and for that reason both
the Preston county and Jamison oper-
atoms were purchased. Early this
week the Bethlehem Steel Corporation
look possession of the Jamison mines
IN this county and took them over in
heir entirety.
The coal produced at the Jamison
mines willsbe utilized at the producer
plants at Bethlehem and Steelton, Pa.
From the latter plant gas is produced
Tor the city OF Harrisburg.
Z It is understood that the Penn-Mary
Coal company viii follow out the same
policy in regard to labor as was in
force at the mines at the time they
were acquired
Assigned Cars.
Assigned cars continue to play
havoc In the Fairmont coal region and
between them, car shortage, embar-
goes. coal scarcity and high prices
commercial business in the region
has been dealt solar plexus.
Whether or not assigned cars count
against the mine rating appears to be
an open question and operators are in
4 quandary to know what's what in
regard to this matter. It is also
matter of uncertainty as to what ba-
sis the railroad is using in reckoning
assigned cars, whether they are on
daily, weekly or monthly basis. In
the past the assigned car was calcu-
lated on the day by the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad, but now it is reported
that b. & o. officials say it will be
based on monthly proposition, those
in charge OF mine rating letting this
impression afloat.
Some operators contend that the
assigned cars is counted against the
rating Of the mine and point out the
fact that both the Pennsylvania and
Philadelphia and Reading railroads
AAtAN = &oIAG4 hOtASGo " IudI Gl1GCls 1 uG
opinion Is expressed that the Balti.
more and Ohio railroad will get away
with itas long as they can. Operators
express the opinion that it is illegal
and say they will test it out in the
Federal courts. but whether or not
this will be done is not certain now.
On the other hand some operators
question whether the industry can win
It's suit against the railroads as they
say that they claimed it was an emer-
gency and they were given the priv
ilege to go TO 1t by the Interstate
Commerce commission, which practI-
cally corresponds to, an arm OF the
government The railroads appeared
% have won their point on the fact
chat the price Of coal' asked of them
was exorbitant. .
Quite a number of the larger coal
companies are loading railroad fuel
and some operators say that this Is
practically, the same as assigned cars.
y appears TO be settled fact that
that assigned cars are here to stay for
some time and nothing short OF stop
page OF mine operations will ever root
them out In the opinion of a number
of coal operators.
During the week the price OF com.
merciaI coal has been gradually forced
up until today it-,has gone beyond the
So mark for mine run It appears to
be very scarce at that. This is due to
the fact that little commercial coal is
being produced and scores OF buyers
are hereto get 1t at almost any price.
a spirited bidding follows and natural.
~ the price scars. Prices probably
wiz continue on high plane as long
as the railroad fuel supply is so great