The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-04-06
1921 COAL SHORTAGE
IS STARING PUBLIC
IN FACE, IS CLAIM
BY ELLIS SEARLES,

Editor United Mine Workers journal.
A coal shortage for 1921 is staring
the American people straight in the
face and / belie>-e it is time to warn
the public of the seriousness of the sit
uation. And when it comes the people
will have only themselves to blame for
it. Everybody should be buying coal
right now. On the contrary, no one Is
buying COAL One hundred thousand
coal miners are out of work. Hundreds
of coal mines are closed down and
hundreds of others are working one or
two days a week. There is no mar
ket for soft coal and production has
dropped to the lowest point since
1914. This means coal shortage lat
er in the season as sure as fate.
There is but one way to prevent
such a coal shortage and that is for
the people to buy their coal now and
thus distribute the demand over a
wider period of time. This would put
miners to work, open up the mines
and give the railroads something to
do. ... -r ~,e--.ar ..-.......
One thing is dead certain-f every
body waits until late in the season to
buy his coal and then everybody or.
ders coal at the same time, there will
not be enough coal to go around and
someone will have to do without. That
very minute the shortage will show up.
Limits on Production
The miners can dig just SO much
coal per week. The mines can pro-
duce just so much and the railroads
can haul just so much and no more.
There is limit to the amount of
coal that cbn be supplied to the con-
, sumner. When the demand for any
particular week or month exceeds that
limit, there win not be enough to sup
ply everybody. That's why say the
people should buy coal now when they
can get It
1t is only necessary to read the
bulletin Of the United States geolog-
1cal survey on the production of coal
to prove that shortage is on the way.
The total production of bituminous
coal In theiUnited States for the week
ended March 10 was only $685. 900
TONS This was 6,4oO, 900 toms below
the weekly rate of production of last
December.
The average monthly production of
bituminous coal for the entire year of
1920 was 46,3S0. 900 tons. The output
for January, 1921, was approximately
100000 tons: in February it was
10000 900 tons, and at the present
rate of production for March it will
be about 100000 tons. This is H.
100000 tons per month short of the
average production last year. What
better evidence of the menace of a
coal shortage is required? Everybody
knows that there was no overproduc-
ton of coal last year. In fact, there
was a serious shortage, even with an
average monthly production of 10000
900 tons. Then what can prevent a
much more serious famine this year
with production 100000 tons a
month below that figure?
Thousands Of Cars Idle
Hundreds of thousands of idle
freigh cars are standing on sidetracks
because there is no business for the
railroads. These cars could be used
to haul coal if the people would only
buy. But the railroads will not be in
as good condition to handle this heavy
coal traffic later in the season.
Thousands of coal miners are loaf
ing around the mines. They are will
ling to work. They want work to do
because they must work to live.
Many consumers may be holding
back thinking miners wages will be
reduced. They are not going to be
reduced.
What I am trying to do is to warn
the public Of the very great danger
of a coal shortage that will mean cold
homes next fall and winter and in.