The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-04-18
THE COAL PROBLEM.

The annual movement to induce
users of coal to lay in their supplies
early has been inaugurated by the
National Coal association thru the is
suance of a bulletin which says in
part:
Sifted down, the underlying prob
lem of the bituminous coal industry is
that of railroad transportation. There
is nothing vague or theoretical about
it: just a practical problem of moving
the coal from the mines.
If the mines have the cars as they
are needed the public will have its
coal.
And when there is an uninterrupt-
ed flow of coal, prices always will reg
ulate themselves and always to the
advantage of the consumer.
When the transportation systems
break down, for any cause whatever
and a shortage of cars exists at the
mines, the whole scheme of supply is
thrown out of joint and the nation
faces a coal shortage.
Aside from the transportation fea-
ture, the soft coal industry, it is true,
has at times perplexing labor difficult
mines. But except for an unusual
walkout, such as that of the miners
in the winter of 1919-1920, strikes
usually are confined, at any one time,
to one or two fields.
While seriously affecting the indi-
vidual output of the mines involved,
sporadic strikes do not, as a rule, cur
tail the aggregate yearly output of the
mines as a whole, SO as to threaten a
nationwide coal stringency.
So transportation looms up, beyond
all else, as the outstanding problem of
the industry.
What makes the situation diff
cult one from the viewpoint of the
railroads is the stolid fact that there is
a material deficiency of cars in which
to haul coal. This deficiency, as cal
culated by Daniel Willard, chairman
CT the Railway Executives association
last fall, runs to some 10000 cars,
with an aggregate carrying capacity
of 100000 tons on each haul.
In a years time with normal run
ming time at the mines, these 10000
cars could handle something like 10o,-
10000 tons of soft coal, or about one
fifth of the entire supply of the ma
! ton.
Beyond this there is an estimated
shortage of some 10000 freight cars
| of other types than those built for
coal. The mines, therefore, can not
depend upon other than open top coal
cars without the likelihood of depriy-
| ing other industries of rolling stock
With the car equipment now avail
| able the carriers must spread the
| uIdBo OIL coal over the entire wear
or, railing that attempt to handle the
4 major output of the mines in the pc
| riod of greatest. demand-the fall and
| winter months,
| How to keep coal moving to the
] public, so that the railroad systems dc
not become clogged when there is a ID.
| normal demand is the vexing problem
| that confronts the soft coal industry
no less than the railroads. And in the
working out of this problem the pub
lie plays an essential part
Fairly even distribution of coal the
year round in order advantageously to
utilize the limited car equipment al
hand is the practical way out of the
/ difficulty.
| To bring this about, foresighted co.
operation is needed on the part of the
consumer-the large Industrial use1
| as well as the householder-in arrang.
ing for his supply of coal in the off.
| season, the early spring and summer
months.
1t may be observed that the Goa
problem in the foregoing is viewed en-
tirely from the standpoint of min,
operators interests Nothing is sait
about the miners who are laid of
when there is a shortage of cars. Thi,
uncertainty of steady employment
doubtless has had much to do will
bringing about the big increases il
miners wages, thereby adding to tn,
cost of coal to the consumers.
If operators would arrange for tn,
continuous production of coal at tn,
mines, cars or no cars both wages n,
costs to the consumers might be great
ly reduced and a large number o
miners might be dispensed with an,
their labor be made available in othe
industries.
The bulletin sets forth that durin.
March 100000 miners and thousand
of cars were idle. because there wa
no market. Then the miners Shout,
nave been at work preparing for TIL
time when there shall be a market
since it is known that such a time
certain to come. But continues tn
bulletin:
It is not practicable to store sof
coal at the mines.
Facilities for storage at the mine
, do not, as rule. exist. The mines ar
usually situated in billy country wher
there is literally no physical room t
: store the output Even where Their
} | is physical adaptability for storage i
the vicinity Of a mine. it would not b
practical thing because it would re
quire coal to be handled twice an
that would approximately double tn
, cost of production.
So it has never been and is not no,
customary for coal to be stored at tn
mine.
The truth of these statements ma
: well be doubted. Whatever increase
= cost would be involved in storae
D might be offset by lowered cost {
/ production incident to continuou
= operation of the mines.
i |