The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-01-29

take an honest pride and qualification
IN the new and high honor thar has
come to the able and popular repres-
entative from the Charleston congress
sional district
Coal Business Troubles.
Senator Howard Sutherland sought
TO bring to the attention Of this coun
Itry through the medium of state
ment In the Senate, some Of the Irou-
bles that beset the coal business in
West Virginia, and doubtless in all
other coal producing states, under
Federal control and administration
AS a text for his statement, he read
by the Clerk telegram received by
him from the general offices of the
Davis Coal Company at Morgantown,
which read: 1T is with profound re-
greet we are compelled to annoy and
apparently put your high office in
position of collecting agency; how
ever, we feel that It Is not the In
tention OF our government to arbi-
trarffy ruin us financially. We have
! compiled with all requests Of the
Railroad Administration in rendering
our invoices and have had the mat
ter up with Mr.. Hines and Mrs. Spen.
Ger without results. Furthermore,
Railroad Administration refuses to
purchase coal, but are again eonfis-
eating, with the result our customers
are refusing to do business with US.
Your continued efforts in our behalf
will be highly appreciated"
In commenting on this telegram,
Senator Sutherland said, in part:
"Mr. President, during. the time of
the coal strike it became necessary,
of course, for the Railroad Admins
tration to confiscate coal for the pub
lie good. That was done, however, in
sucha manner as to cause great EN-
barrassment 10 the coal operators
The coal was confiscated In transit
and diverted from its original con-
signees to otner consignees, and up to
this time very little of it has been
paid for. Some of the larger compatl-
les could stand this drain upon their
resources without ruin, but to some
of tho smaller ones 1t has meant al
most absolute ruin; they have not
been able to meet their pay rolls.
Il received a telegram a few days
! ago from one of the coal operators
!. stating he was sending out a special
agent with 1000 notices of diverted
coal all over the west and southwest
Pin an endeavor to secure payment for
that coal. Apparently no. effort has
been maze, nor in any cooperation
| now given by the Railroad Admins
train toward securing payment for
this diverted coal. They seem to
, think that their public duty in the
matter was fulfilled when they di-
verified the coal from these coal oper.
atofs and sent it to some other con-
signee, leaving the coal operators to
/ struggle as best as he can to secure
the money in payment for this coal :.
| "Of couls Sc, when the monthly or
semi-monthly pay rolls come due they
ARE unable to meet them. l find that
| this practice, as attention Is called to
! 1t in the telegram, Is continuing in
| some parts of the state. They are not
only diverting coal sent TO various
consignees without notice to the ship
per, thereby greatly embarrassing the
! consignee, who are thus deprived of
the coal which they are expecting,
which they have ordered, and which is
necessary for the continuance Of their
business, but, in addition to that, prac.
tically putting 0ul OF business the
shippers OF this coal, and it seems to
me that this coal should be diverted
I with some due regard to the business
necessities Of these men. On that ac-
count l have had this telegram read
and have desired OF call the attention
of the senate to it."
The Senate pension committee has
favorably reported the following spec
ial pension Bills that wer introduced
ed by Senator Elkins:
John c. bearing, of Flemington,
$40 a month; Mrs. Harriet B.
Hart, Of Grafton, s25; William l..
Brown of Fairmont, $50; Augustus
Hairless, of CARROTS Band. $40; Will
liam Carpenter, OF Palestine, $50; and
Nairdreth Landres, OF Charleston,
$50.
By intervention in her behalf by
Congressman Wells Goodykoontz, Mrs.
Retta Hatfield, of Mingo county! has
been appointed a senior typist in the
washington Office Oh the General
Comptroller, E. E. Abadie.
The House has passed a bill, IN
troduced by Congressman Stuart F.
Reed. granting a pension at the rate
of $12 month to William Constable,
OF Adamston, soldier in the Spanish
American war.
For George b. and Mary j., parents
of Merrill Blanchard, deceased soldier,
Congressman Echols has secured from
the War Department check for
1851 SO In settlement for pay arrears,
which check has gone forward to the
Blanchards at their home in Charles
ton; also bonus check, $50, for
John L. Mcdonald, OF Dorothy, w.
Va, and an increase TO $50 from $50
a month compensation being paid to
Henry R. Lynn, of Charleston, who is
! undergoing treatment at the State
Sanitorium at Terra Alta.
Bends, bu. Cut. Glass.
! An American steel company, making
I al ,r~n dos 80 aIaot,lo kaa1 .1aofn =.