The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-07-12
ASSIGNED CARS.

q N another column uH evening lhe WOO Virginia"
p1in, a letter from correspondent, who describes
himself IS purchaser Of coal in which arc asked
number Of perfectly fair questions, assuming that they
come flom man who is really seeking light on a
much mixed problem. ltwould take a lol more delv-
NJ INTO The statistics and history Of coal production
and coal transportation than The West Vrglnian
can now spare 70 give complete answer to all the
poins Sssed, but few Of the controlling facts ought
b convince our correspondent that the antasonlsm in
dis dstiet to the assigned car system i founded on
perfectly valid reasons.
10 b.gin with, NO on. has charged that the assign
ed,car responsible for the high price Ct coal: It is
contributing cause but The real basis the lack OF
equipment for the transportation Of coal and the m
ably q the railroad; % get the loads over the roads
after hey do get them. The coal market had got
out Of hand before the Interstate Commerce commits
SION permitted the roads to go back to the assigned car
system The only thing the assigned car dd was to
make abad matter wore
Ihsiea basis Of objection to this system is its dis
Organizing effect The mine workers object to 1t be-
canse At time Of car scarcity few mines, COMPARE
lively peakins, have fairly steady wOlk while other
rirs perhaps mines On the same spur track, have no
soh al all. Some miners make lots Of money and
some I've of the operators or go away and enter some
industry where the wok j; more steady Eventually
that helps to reduce production.
The operators object to it for tie sane reason and
for IL. additional reason that when the only cars they
an "a are those placed for railroad fuel they cannot
male shipments on their contracts. And that sends
s. consumer who is not able to get coal that he has
contracted for out INTO the spot market The result
S a:rnaway market The newspapers Of Inc country
suce de fst Of the year have been cOntendins with
lie same condition. and as a result they are paying
bout three times what they ought to be paying even
J. tne like the present for large percentage OF the
.Shie pint they use. Assigned cars have no part IN
he paper situation. Of course but the same thing hap
p.n; N both markets when the man who thinks he has
nkn care Of h. requirements finds hathe cannot get
4 shipments
Now for the mathematics Of the matter Our cor
respondent says the railroads consume about one-ourh
q hscoal mined Ii. figure probably is nearer one
lind than onefourth 1t is matter Of history that
when cars become scarce the Faimont district for some
r.asoh probably because it is mountainous district and
,h,e,e.kre present, Iairoadins dlficuhe; that some
olha districts do not is always Disseminated against
N De matter Of car supply. If our correspondent has
BEEN buying coal IN this district long he must be tamil
i,rit that fact for has been the subject Of numer,
q; COMPLAINS before the Interstate Commerce com,
missiiop and has been aired IN other ways And In
addition to the discrimination against US IN this way
hssalroads as soon as the assigned car system wen
INTO eject began 10 take more than fair proportion
+ ou output The records for the p:lod since Ii:
assigned car was resumed will show that fully 10
p.r cent Of the coal originating on the N0nongah dv!;
q # The Baltimore and Ohio has gone to the rail-
rosds if he shipments from the mines between here
IA he Pennsylvania state line were taken in to con-
ad.,,iou The proportion would show even higher. Lit