The Concordia sentinel. (Vidalia, Concordia Parish, La.) 1882-current, 1920-01-10
BY BRUCE cLAG-TT.
Assistant to Director General of Rail-
roads.

roads
have the thought that the people
or the United States would axe 20
know how their coal supply was han
died during the six weeks strike of BIZ
luminous coal miners, which has iust
come TO an end. This was the nrst ma
| tion-wide coal rtrike the country ever
| experienced, and therefore the prob
lens arising were novel. Necessarily,
| during the continuance of the strike,
the exact stacks on hand could not be
made public at all times, although as
to all vital facts the public seems to
have been kept fully Informed day by
day. Uncle Sam set up his own coal
/ pile as soon as the strike began end
Kept replenishing it from the miHes
which continued to work, but mean
while the pile was being diminished
more rapidly than new supplies were
coming in, and before long it became
question of keeping people warm
rather than what industries should be
continued. Had the strike continued
much longer many industries would
have had to shut down and, people
thrown out of work. but on the re-
stricted basis to which the country
finally came and with the part-time
production obtained undoubtedly the
nation could have carried on" for
weeks longer. If not months.
Strike Anticipated.
Several weeks before the coal strike
began on November l its coming was
plainly apparent, and therefore the
director general Of railroads. Walker
d. Hines, consulted with all the re-
giOnal directors of railroads and the
principal members of his staff. and
decided that If the strike came ii would
be the job of the railroad administra-
ton to make the coal produced go as
far as possible. After thorough dis
cussiOn the plan was adopted of allow
Ing all coal mined up to the time Of the
strike proceed as billed to consignees
on the idea that once the strike actu-
ally began the railroads could look
needs of the country by taking ever
coal actually on the rails at that time.
Through this method foreSighted con-
sumers were placed in a position to
store up. The alternative method
would have been for the railroads to
have begun TO buy coal early in prepa-
ration for the strike. thus keeping ouch
coal out of normal channels.
Prior to the strike a very careful
survey of stocks on hand. both of rail-
roads. industries and individuals (us
far as pOssible) was conducted so that
the railroad administration went into
the strike with as accurate knowledge !
Of the coal situation throughout the
as was obtainable. The adj !
original survey on No
vember showed 100000 tons of BIZ |
luminous coal on wheels and in rail- |
road storage subject to distribution |
under the administrations supervision. |
To this was added the daily produc- |
ion which totaled 18,SOO,OOO tons in
November. and of the aggregate the
stocks still available for the .Ountry's |
protection on December 1. 12,3OO,OO0 /
ons and on December s. 11.475.OOO
ons.
Prior to the strike orders we're is
'ued by the railroad administration
o give preference to coal loading and
his naturally resulted in hardship on
iome industries. The result was how
'ver. that in the week ended October
3 total of 13,200,000 tons of coal
vas produced and moved in the United !
states. this constituting record fo-
he country. 1t took hard work Ivy
'veryOne concerned to distribute this
normOus amount of COAL Once the
trike was on. the production never
cached so per cent of normal, with
he result shown above. viz, that in
edition TO using the production every
lay, the stored coal in possession of
he railroads was depleted in the six