The Sun. [volume] (Price, Utah) 1915-1932, 1920-05-28
CAR SHORTAGE STILL IS
MOST ACUTE HERE
IN UTAH
CARBON COUNTY MINES ARE
CRIPPLED BY SHORTAGE.
Properties Of the District Idle For
the Week Ending May 9Th More
Than Fifty-Two Per Cent Of Their
Time-Much Congestion In the Big
Railroad Terminals Back East.
,-orresnondence The SIM.

Correspondence The Sun.
WASHINGTON, ID. c.. May "a
Reversal Of the recent upward trend
of production marked both anthracite
and bituminous mining during the
week ended on May 18th. The output
of soft coal (including Ignite and
coal cokedl is estimated ut S.I73.Oe0
net tons. n decrease ~. $4,000 tons
compared with the preceding week.
In fact. the production was the snail
est since the week Of April oath. The
daily rate of production 1 1000
tons-was only SO per cent Of that
during the first quarter Of the year
and 20 per cent Of that in October.
1919. The decrease was due 10 the
gradual spread of the traffic congcs-
ton caused by the railroad workers
strike. Operations in every field north
Of Alabama and east Of the Mississip-
III and in some fields of the Far West
were either directly or indicctly af-
fccted. Reports ~ far received for
last week MAY 18th and 22d) indi-
cate little II any improvement. Pro-
duction during the first hundred and
sixteen working days Of the last four
years has been lO3.0iT000 tons. The
year 1920 is now i0.310,0O0 tons be-
hind 1917 and l3.T2O.O00 tons behind
1918. but il 34.6OO.OOO tons ahead Of
1919. Production Of anthracite. like
that of bituminous, dropped back
during the week Of May 10th 10 the
lowest level since April oath. Ship
ments originated by the principal ear
ricrs were 33.6O2 ears. Total produe-
lion. including mine fuel and sales
10 local trade, il estimated ut l,726,.
200 net tons, decrease in COMPARE
con with the preceding week of li4,-
OOO,OoO tons or per cent. Cumula-
live production since the beginning
of the calendar year now amounts 90
81 .231 900 tons rs against 2S,66O,O0O
during the same period Of 1919.
Temporary Improvement.
Mine reports for the week Of May
5th picture a stage of temporary inn
proycmcnt in the now unprecedented
year shortage which has accompanied
the switchmen's strike. In spite Of
the improvement the mines of the
country were able 10 worX oL the |
average less than twenty-tour hours |
e out Of the forty-cighi. A. subsequent
reports from the railroads indicate,
the change was Ia Ice shortliycd, The |
only labor disturbance of any serious
proportions that occurred during the
week was the strike Ia Michigan All |
Of the mines la that state reporting |
were closed down during the entire
week. The Michigan strike was, how
ever. offset by the return 10 work OF
the striking miners Ia Kansas. Local
strikes of small importance were re-
ported from Illinois, Indiana, Ohio,
Central Pennsylvania, Cumberland
Piedmont, Fairmont, the southern
Appalachian field, Iowa, Missouri and
Colorado. Small LOSSES due 90 labor
shortage were reported from most dis
iricis. but amounted In the aggregate
to only % per cent of fulltime over
the country as a whole, la the intense
demand caused by the ear shortage
the losses due 10 no market which
ordinarily characterize this season of
the year have Virtually disappeared.
As against mo- market loss of 30,2
per cent during the corresponding
period of 1919, the total loss for the
week of MAY Sth was only 90 per
cent of fulltime. Two properties IN
Illinois were the only ones east of the
Mississippi 90 report lack of orders
West of that river occasional reports
Df mo- orders were received from all
states except Utah, but only ia Okla
homa, Arkansas and Texas were they
serious factor limiting production.
The outstanding feature of the week
was, as before, the extraordinary
shortage of ears which the congestion
of freight traffic has produced, Al
though the transportation loss was
somewhat smaller than during the pre-
ceding week-440 per cent, as COM
pared with 47G-the mines of the
country were closed down ON the
average twenty-one and a half hours
out of rhe forty-eight ON account OF
railroad disability OF one form or an
other.
Not Cars, But Men.
N must be remembered that while
1he operators report this loss Gear
shortage" il embraces in reality
many things beside a simple lack of