The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-07-21
SHORTAGE OF COAL
THREATENS To HALT
INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITY

tEDlT0Rs NOTE. The chica<o
Jews, In an effort TO obtain reliable
aai" ON the coal shortage, had Rich
ara Z. burrftt, one OF it's staff writ
era. make an exhaustive study of the
problem: Excerpts from his first
The industrial United States today is
cripple. In the broad sense business
IS either hmping along or Is beginning
to stagnate. The shop, the factory,
the home, the comfort and welfare of
practically every man, woman and
child are threatened.
Railroad congestion is the menace.
II has brought about a shortage of
cars at loading points necessary to
distribute the nations wealth. The
shortage has slowed down the produc-
ton of bituminous coal, which, in turn,
Is slowing down the production of
essential commodities and may bring
business to dead halt next winter in
many states. Drastic measures alone
can save the nation from a severe de-
preston with hundreds Of thousands
OF wage earners unemployed, with
bread lines in many of the great cities,
with cold homes, lightless days and
all the accompanying misery.
Lack Of Coal Immediate Peril.
the prosperity of the country is the
present shortage of bituminous coal.
Knowing that his daily bread, the
clothes that cover him, the business
that employs him, one and all are de-
pendent upon the production and dis
tribution of sufficient coal, any citizen
can comprehend the significance of
these four facts:
l. The United States passed through
1919 with the largest decrease in coal
production known to the country's his
tory, a decrease of 141 100000 tons
from the 1918 production, due not so
much to the coal strike as to the fact
that after the armistice business and
the railroads guessed wrong" think
ing production would Immediately in
crease, they foolishly used up their
reserve stocks of coal.
2. The minimum coal requirements
for the country this year will be $780,
100000 tons.
3. To fill these requirements 1t Is
necessary to mine and the railroads
must distribute 11,500.000 tons each
week.
4. Since April /, the country has
been running short of that amount by
more than 2,425O00 tons weekly, be-
cause the railroads have not supplied
the mines with Sudlc1ent cars.
Commerce Threatened.
Chicago and Illinois commerce and
industry are on the ragged edge. They
are being squeezed by the car and coal
shortage to such an extent it is only a
question of time before plants will be
shutting down and wage earners will
be walking the streets looking for EN-.
Tloyment.
Everyone knows that the strike of
outlaw railroad switchmen injured the
roads. Everyone does not know that
the harmful effects of that strike are
far worse than have ever been admit
ted in print. Switching districts
throughout the east are clogged with
goods. Many switching districts with
in striking distance Of the mine fields
are clogged with coal. The roads have
a difficult time getting even proper
ton of open-tops to the mines and as
hard a time moving the coal after il
has been loaded From 80 to 80 pei
cent of their switchmen have gone te
industries paying higher wages -
which is not unnatural inasmuch as
all business admits that the switchmer
are underpaid - and the industry
taking them then complains to the
roads about the shortage of cars.
Auto Makers Are Blamed.
be the automobile manufacturers. Thu
writer has heard them roundly cursed
by business men in many states. Ever
the coal men who sell them coal con
denim them for alleged piratica
methods in the mine fields; that is, TO
their methods of taking coal ava.
from other industries by bidding tn
market price of coal into the heavens
Their agents are determined to ge
coal though everybody else shut
down.
Many railroad men, coal operator
and others are declaring that the mar
ufacture Of pleasure cars and othe
aon-essential industries should b
stopped at once 1t may be forced t
stop James B. Walsh. vice-presiden
of the Pittsburgh Coal and associate
companies, the largest coal operatin
company in the world, goes much fu
Their. In Pittsburgh recently he toll
the writer that all industry on eithe
side of Pittsburgh, the United State
Steel corporation as well, should b
closed down at once.
His reasoning is similar to that
many other men in many states.
will be cheaper, less uncomfortable, t
close business down for thirty, sixty c
ninety days during the summe
months in order to accumulate stuff
cient coal reserve for winter use tina
it will be to close down for any perio
during the winter. Mr.. Walsh believe
the country must take one Of the tw
courses. The steel corporation is il
clining to his view and it will not /
strange if the corporation should su
pend the last of this month or til
first of next month for a period {
from thirty to sixty days. The cas-
ern steel mills are choked with III
shipped products despite the fact tn;
the railroads are deliberately favorir
them and the corporation is hangir
on to open-top equipment that