The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-07-13
COAL OPERATORS.
(CoptiDzsd nom page one.l

Of the country again. The eea
operators don't want that. The!
| are lined up In agreement on thai
proposition. The thought Of a re
turn to government price-fixinG
| and railway priority orders is a reg
rag to them.
Il Is asserted BY some that the
! export business Is the cream Of
| the trade Just now, and the cause
/! OF domestic shortage which 10
| causing industries to shut down
and public utilities to limp along.
This. assertion Is denied by others.
The export price ranges from $40
| to as high as SIS the ton. A few,
Comparatively speaking, are gel
! ting a higher rate than that, 1t Is
| said. This, some contend, has
| boosted domestic rates :. They are
anywhere from IS to sl2. depend.
! Ing whether IL is contract, free Or
spot coal.
The more conservative and far
seeing coal operators have fought
against high prices. They have q
dTe regard for public opinion and
a Justified fear Of the government
acain taking oves their business.
! But this group apparently is in the
minority. Leastways, in spite OF
strenuous and honest efforts 10
keep down prices within reasonable
limits as the policy best to pursue
| Tor their own interests, prices have
! leaned steadily upward with alae-
rity and n!mblensss Get II While
the geeting II good appears TO be
the motto Of "a! 100 many in me
trade, the conservative ones ad-
nit.
everything tina. goes into the
mining Of, coal has advanced IN
price in leaps and bounds, like
everything else, The operators are
careful 10 iterate and often repeat
in the course o: an interview. They
are paving, In West Virginia the
union scale in union fields and
mere than the union scale in field
Thai are moi union. They say thai
in some sections where there Is
labor trouble, It isn't trouble caused
by wages or living conditions. The
controversy Is over the recognition
Of the union. They can afford 70
nay wages so high that no miner
can have a kick coming, but they
cannot afford to deal with The
United Mine Workers officials
who have invaded the Norfolk and
Western region and are trying to
orrantze that field. The ultimate
aim OF the latter, the operators
saw. is the naturalization OF the
mines, and the mine owners here
from that locality say that they will
fight that out to the bitter end and
the last ditch.
The last government figures IS
sued on the cost Of mining a ton OF
bituminous coal was 1928. Some
Of the biz companies. with overhead
eypenses cut to the minimum BY
efficient methods and machinery,
can produce a ton OF coal al less
than that. Coal at 81 a ton at the
mine would be good, profitable
business and a fair price, entirely
satisfactory to them, a few opera,
TORS admit. But a very few-not
a corpbral's guard. The coal opeE.
ators are not given to making 40,
missions OF this kind to outsiders.
During the world war and since,
the coal business has been flour
nshing as 1t was never known 10
prosper before. High costs Of pro-
duction have not. at any time In /.
this period. oyeTtaken, high and
higher prices. Despite government
control and price.fixinS, and OK
cess profits taxation, many men
and many families got immensely
rich. OF the s2.2OS new million.
aires that it has been estimated