The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1921-06-29
LET TIERS TO
THE EDITOR
THE ASSIGNED CAR aEvIL {

- NSSIAN6S VAN EVIL
FAIRMoNT, June 2s.-[Edltor
The West Virginian.l -Much has
been said and written during the
last two years on the subject OF the
so-called assigned car" and its
abuses, and much criticism OF the
practices which brought it into ex.
istence has found It's way into the
public press. Local newspapers
carry several notices weekly to the
effect that this or that coal pro.
Queer or coal trade organization OF.
ficial Is, in one way or another,
fighting" the assigned car"
Everybody knows that 1t is the
policy OF the producers OF coal to
take the public fully into their con.
fldence concerning the essentials
OF their business; the nature and
hazards Of the process OF extract.
Ing coal from the mine and market.
ing 1t; the cost OF the different
steps OF this process, the returns re.
cetved, and the profit, or loss, &C.
cruing therefrom. While not gen.
orally known. this information has
been furnished the government by
the operators through the Geologi.
cal Survey, annually for several
years, and In some instances to the
states having coal bearing lands
that are in operation. The popular
complaint that coal costs too
much" has encouraged the ten.
dency frankly to show the public
the distribution Of such higher cost
of coal, as reflected in advanced
prices of materials required for
mining, wage advances to a point
nearly 300 per cent. above pre.war
scale, and the enormous increase in
freight rates.
But the public has yet TO learn
what the assigned car really is. No
doubt 10 many the name itself sug.
gests something that is wrong, a
questionable practice OF some sort
engaged in for their own benefit by
a few railroad magnates" or coal
barons" and which adds to the bur.
dens OF coal consumers every.
where.
In this assigned car subject, as
we'll, the public Is indeed more vi,
tally interested than 1t knows, and
is entitled TO information accord.
ingly.
y VIVA! is the assigned car? Why
Is II so named and what are It's
functions? Is 1t some devillsh in.
vention that can fly through the
air at the will and for the benefit
OF It's wicked manipulators, or what
vices characterize It to arouse such
bitter attacks upon its existence?
To what specially privileged class
does II cater?
An assigned car Is either a rail.
road car actually owned outright
by shipper or someone other than
a railroad company. and hauled By
one or more railroads in their reg.
ular freight trains In some particu.
lar service. and in that service
only; or else It is a car owned by
q railroad company and set apart
for the specific service Of carrying
locomotive fuel coal to such road
for running It's trains: IT operates
between the mines and the place OF
engine.fueling. back and forth, like
a shuttle. Sometimes, to econo.
mize train miles," exchanges OF
cars are made by connecting roads;
however. the principle, and the &C
tuai use, of so much cur capacity
for such fuel carrying service re.
main the same. This lin brief de.
fines the assigned car and It's use
so far as the coal trade is concern
ed. Occasionally during the war
and notably during the extreme
shortage of coal In the New Eng
land states In 1915 and at the head
Of the Great Lakes in 1920. the gov.