The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1921-08-03
About Usual Run Of Shut
Downs in the Fair
mont Field
No Improvement seen.
High Wage and Differen-
tials Appear to Worry
Operators

Daily the mine idleness in the
Fairmont region fails to lessen any.
1t varies somewhat daily, but as a
whole there are seldom seventy-fye
mines working daily in the region
and sometimes not that many.
Today there are 231 mines down
fiat out Of 205 or Ga at work. OF
these there are 1ss idle on the Mon
ongah division, B. & o.; "a on the
Monongahela railway in West yir-
ginia and 1s on the Western Mary
lands This means that on the Mon
ongah division, B. & o. R. R., only
81 mines are working; IL on the
Monongahela in West Virginia and
one on the Western Maryland rail-
way. On the Charleston division,
B. d q. Z. R., there are Ga idle or
"a at work while on the Mononga-
hsla railway there are 10 mines
idle. 4 S1,3.i m
Business conditions have not
5eaafiE iEed The subject 81 The ops
7efatofs asking the miners for d
wage reduction Is about the main
topic Of discussion in the coal trade
these days. What will be the out.
come is problematical, but the op-
orators appear to be making IA
strenuous effort to have a wage re.
duction made. Operators say that
only by q wage reduction can any
business be had at all. II is true
that trading is slow and business
IS not brisk, but the fact that
miners wages are higher here
than in non-union fields, neverthe-
less is no argument but that non.
union fields get what business there
is about.
Production in the non-union fields
is on tho increase, operators say,
and they point to the non-union
Logan region, which appears to
have established record breaking
production, during June and July,
excelling anything in its past his
tory when 1t comes to production.
The Logan field produced ten
millions Of tons Of coal annually,
the mines being scattered along the
Guyandotte river. The fact that
these operations are located prob
ably 100 miles from Ironton, o.,
seems to worry Fairmont operators
considerably because they say they
have the beat on this region on
mining rates as well as, freight
differentials TO the Great North
west line points. II Henry Ford's
pet-the Detroit, Toledo & Ironton
is permitted to reduce its coal
transportation rates it means that
this region will have a rate that
is seventy-two cents cheaper to
Northwest line points. Even after
the boat rate Is deducted on ton
Of coal the Logan region will have
a rate that is from 45 to so cents
cheaper. Loss of western bust.
ness is fc..red.
Due to the high cost Of mining
at a number OF operations in the
Fairmont region it has been found
necessary during the past few
weeks to close a number Of opera
tions down fat. This even affected
larger coal companies that were
unusually lucky in securing busi-
ness and giving their miners more
work by far than the general run
Of operating companies.
Every step taken in the wage
adjustment argument between the
operators and miners will be
closely followed in the region.
~. Personal Mention. e5
G. q. Jenkins, secretary and
treasurer of the Hutchinson Coal
Company, is on a business trip TO
philadelphia.
A. W. Patton. of the Patton Coal
Company, went to Columbus, o.,
last night.
Some Inquiries.
Today an inquiry was afioat in
the region for 10000 tons Of pool
64. It Is understood that the coal
is for export business but no price
was mentioned.
Daily r. r. Fuel.
Railroad fuel loading on the
Monongah division, b. & o. 3. R.,
on Tuesday was 222 cars, little
bit stronger than usual.
The B. & o. railroad secured 141
cars while foreign carriers secured
81.
Daily Shipments.
Shipments to the lakes of the
Monongah division, B. e o. r. R,
on Tuesday stitfened somewhat
when 40 carloads went there,
lcentsnaed On paEs tuzE2