The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-03-19
DIVERSIONS NOW
DISORGANRE THE
COAL INDUSTRY

UllhL lIIUUOllll
Demurrage on Boats and
Payment the Operators
Latest Worry.
Aside from the INSTRUMENTATION OF
business generally coal operators are
being steered into, many complica-
tons by the wholesale diversion Of
export coal down east. In fact, condi-.
lions are such that the operator has
lost a grasp on shipments so that q
state of decentralization is presenting
itself from every noko and corner. In
many instances coal has been confis-
Gated for a period of two or three
weeks and operators do not know
where 1t went to or who is to pay for
It. Possibly one of the most Sexa-
tious conditions will be the payment
Of demurrage on boats awaiting coal
eargoes. Who is going to pay this
bill?
Today the Hutchinson Coal Com.
pany received wordythat the coal ship
ments from their Logan Operations
are being confiscated, possibly 1000
tons this week. The company had six
boats in waiting and succeeded in
loading but two OF them. They bent
every effort to Glad these boats, turn.
ing all Of the production from the op-
erations TO take care Of these cargoes
to be loaded at Newport News, Va.
Under the prevailing system 1t is nee.
essary to have coal at the pools be-
fore export permits can be secured.
After the operator has been careful
just to send enough coal to take care
of the cargoes he learns after a. great
delay usually that some Of the coal
has been confiscated and additional
delay is caused to boats, which must
await further shipments.
Coal operators are fair in the mat
ter as they do not protest against the
loss in price they suffer or to the
diversion If it Is necessary, but they
object to the interference of their
business generally, which has been
more or less complicated by strikes,
Investigations. regulations, executive
orders and wage increases. The de.
murrage ON boats Is one of the knotty
phases OF the operators newest trou-
BILE.
While operators are willing to see
their coal go TO New England il it Is
absolutely needed there is growing
suspicion that perhaps the New Eng
land railroads are getting more than
their present needs of railroad fuel.
The coal operator figures that per-
haps the railroads may be using this
opportunity to get coal at government
price. This price of course is lower
/ than the operator can produce the
coal for in the Fafr1nont region and
If such is the case it Is another un-
fair advantage acknowledgements
fair advantage that the railroads have
taken of the coal industry, which was
SO marked about year ago. That
operators think that railroads are
loading up with atbig supply of fuel,at
figures that are much lower than they
will be when % per cent increase is
applied, is quite natural in view of
the fact that the New England rail-
roads resorted to this scheme OF load.
ing up with coal in the fall of 1918.
During that season Of the year these
railroads secured daily as many as 500
diverted coal loads from the Fairmont
region via all rail shipments, and 1t
developed upon Investigation that
they had large stocks laid In and
stored on the ground.
The general result was hat when
the weather was good. and railroad
and boat movement was free they
ordered no coal because they had laid
in an adequate supply IN advance.
After passing up ordering during the
favorable season they are again, it is
believed. taking advantage to stock
up again at low price.
Daily Car Supply.
On the Monongah division OF the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad today
there are 695 scars and while the sup
ply is only S5 per cent the railroad
had all Of the cars were placed at the
mines early. AS result OF the car
shortage today there are SO mines idle
Today's cars on the division are clas-
sified as follows: Open. GAL; coke "a;
n. e. c. x, ,16; NJ. v. r., IA. There
were Is cars left over from the pre-
ytous day.
Cars on the Monongahela railroad
today run IS per cent, which is vast
improvement over Thursday when
there was but a per cent supply.
There were 1853 cars placed early this
morning in the West Virginia district
and 274 placed in the Pennsylvania
district. Unfortunately there were no
cars in sight this morning for Satur.
days loading.
Daily Production.
Production in the Fairmont region