The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-03-26
RA|LROADSMUST
PAY a PER CENT
ADDITIONAL NOW
Attorney General Palmer So
Directs Head of the
Railroads.
.CARSFOR TAELAKE ROADS
Export Movement Freer
From Region, B. & o.
Fuel Situation.

Railroads have been directed by At
torney General Palmer that 1t is legal
for the railroad administration to pay
fourteen per cent. advance on railroad
coal contracts, where the wage adjust
ment clause was carried and where
such adjustment makes the new price
in excess of applicable government
maximum.
This ruling with not materially affect
the railroad fuel business of the Fair
mont region because even with the
II per cent. increases added itswould
not bring the aggregate price of any
OF the contracts up to the $3.50 mark
The highest price paid here for rail
road fuel was $2.10 and with the Il
per cent. added it would run $2.45
Some operators held firm for the IA
per cent. increase and told the Balti
more and Ohio and other railroads that
If they did not come across with the
additional IA per cent. that they would
not ship them any more coal. Some
few operators may have been bluffed
by the railroads, but the majority
were a unit in collecting "a add tionai
II per cent nasmuch as 1t wentsto the
miners and did not benefit the opera.
tors any. II is possible that the rail
roads have not as yet adjusted some
of these claims.
The wire which G. T. Bell, executive
vice president of the Northern West
Virginia Coal Operators Association,
received from J. d. A. Morrow, vice
president of The National Coal Asso
ciation,- this mornning, is as follows
Understand attorney general has
advised Hines it is legal for railroad
administration to pay fourteen per
cent. advance on railroad coal con,
tracts carrying wage adjustment
clause where such adjustment makes
new price in excess OF applicable gov.
ernment maximum. Settlement will
be made by usual local railroad off.
cials pursuant to instructions which
will be sent out by Spencer ss soon as
local officials receive such instruc,
tions. Details will be communicated
later"
Cars for the Lakes.
All railroads in the United States
are directed to return immediately
hoppers belonging to railroads inter.
ested in the coal and ore carrying
trade TO the lakes, according to a pre.
emptory order issued by the commits.
sion on car service, II this is put into
effect without delay the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad will soon start to receive
more coal cars and probably will be in
position to have supply by the mid.
die of April.
This information was gathered by
G. T. Bell, executive vice president OF
the Northern West Virginia Coal oper,
ators' Association while in Washing.
ton, D. c., this week.
Exports Are Freer.
Shipments to Curtis Bay yesterday
off the Baltimore and Ohio railroad to.
tailed 1876 cars of coal. The indica
tions are that quite little of the east
bound coal is headed for Curtis Bay
although not reported to the railroads
by the operators as such shipments.
Certain operators believed that yes.
terday's Curtis Bay shipments would
excel any for a long time, although
the railroads figures do not show It.
1t is understood that coal is again
being shipped from Curtis Bay for
Italy, Sweden, Cuba and Argentine
This includes the gas coal OF the Fair.
mont region and the low volatile coal
OF the Somerset, Pa, fields.
Diversions of export coal on the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad are re,
ported to be easing up some.
3. & o. Fuel Situation.
Railroad fuel for the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad is being arranged for in
this region. It is understood the sys
tenn wants 160 cars of coal, so of which
is wanted for stoker purposes. A con
ference was held recently in Balti
more in connection with the matter.
Coming Conference.
About all that can be done at the
conference between the scale commit
tee OF the operators of the central com
patitive field and the United. Mine
Workers in New York city on Monday
will be the submission Of the report Of
| the majority of the members Of the bi
luminous coal commission. After that
the formal agreement will have to be
drafted.
Thomas t. Brewster, chairman Of
the coal operators scale committee oi
the central Competitive field, said last
Continued on rage Four.i
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