Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1921-07-29
COAL SHORTAGE DANGER SAID
TO BE INCREASING.


Danger of a coal shortage next
winter and active to consumers to
buy now constitute the subject mat
the Railway Age sent to the Nor
released for publication.
The article reads as follows:
"Wise people who know they musa
buy coal between now and next WIN
ter will buy it as soon as practic-
able. Foolish people who know they
will have to buy coal will postpone
for doing so. If there is any con-
siderable increase of manufacturing
and other forms of industrial activi-
ty, there will be coal shortage,
and serious one, unless buying for
business and domestic purposes soon
increases very largely.
"The normal increase in consump-
ton of coal in the United States for
long time has been from 100000
to 100000 900 tons year. The year
1914. like the year 1921, was n year
IF depression. Nevertheless, in the
first six months of 1921 the amount
of coal produced and shipped ac-
tually way 100000 tons less than
in the same months of 1914, seven
years ago, and, in fact, less than
in the first six months of any OF
the last eight years except 1915. 1t
was 30.000,000 tons lesx in the first
six months of 1921 than in 1913;
100000 tons less in the irst si::;; !
months of 1921 than in 1918; 3d.
100000 tons less in the first six
months of 1921 than in 1913; 5O,0O0,- |
600 tons less than in 1916; 7700O,- |
600 tons less than in 1917; 86,0O0,-
600 tons less than in 1918, and g. |
100000 tons less than in 1920 At |
the present rate of output the total |
production of 1921 would be less
man 400 ,O00,O tons. The last year
IN which less than this amount of |
coal was consumed was 19Oo-twelve
years ago.
THE Interstate Commerce Com
mission has become so alarmed re-.
garding the situation that Chairman
Clarke has made special appeal
TO the railways and public utilities
to increase ther purchase and stor-
age OF coal. Many of the RAILWAYS
apd public utilities are doing so. but
there is limit to the beneficial
effect that will produce Unless 9TH
er business concerns and domestic
consumers speedily and largely in
crease their purchases the country
will have serious coal troubles this
winter.
"There is every reason WHY con-
sumers that can buy and store coal
to provide for future needs should
do SO now. The railways today have
n surplus of 10000 coal cars In
addition, they have over 10000
coal cars in bad order, many of
which could soon be put into service
# there. was a demand for them. ;
This makes total of almost 3O0,OOl
coal cars for which there is no de-.
mand now; but past experience
traffic in the fall and winter would
soon wipe out this car surplusagn
and create q chortage.
1t is as certain as any future
thing can be that there will be no
substantial reductions in freight
rates on coal this year. The rail-
roads themselves are paying for coal
prices per ton which, according to
the lotest statistics available. aver
age $40 per ton. or about 100 per
cent higher than in 1916. The adj
vances. in rates on coal have averag
ed nowhere near this much, and the
railways cannot afford to reduce the
rates on coal when they are having
to pay such high prices for it. Fur
thermore, there seems no prospect
of any comfortable reductions in
prices of coal, because the mine on.
orators are still paying the mine
workers the highest wages in hin
tory, and under their contracts viii
have to continue to do so un&lAprii !
/. 1922.
GAIL past warnings regarding the
increasing danger of coal trouble,
next fall and winter have been disrp-
garded by the public 1t is to be hop
ed that the warnings now being gir.
en- will receive more attention."