Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-05-15
kind of coal will be stabilized
throughout the

throughout the year.
Opponents of this proposal as
sert that a very wide spread woul'
have to be employed in order t,
bring about such a result in mos
districts because it would have t.
compensate the consumer for tn,
additional expense entailed in car
rying his coal supply for some
months and vercom any degrade
ton of the coal in storage.
Opponents also point out tha'
the increased railroad rates on thi:
coal in the winter time would have
to be paid by those h~ouseholders
who have neither the facilities MOI
the money to permit them to take
advantage Of the lower sunme,
rates.
Railroad officials object that a
decided change in freight rates on
a given date would result in ship
ments being withheld just prior to
the decrease and an increase in
shipments prior to an increase in
rates.
ut has been suggested also that
producers of coal should make a
difference in their prices, reducing
the price levels in the spring and
gradually increasing them through
the summer. SO as to persuade the
consumer to take at least a part of
his coal supply during the spring
and summer.
ut will be readily seen that much
of what has just been said as to
seasonal variations in freight rates
applies here with equal force.
"In addition it should be pointed
out that the competition in the
open market normally reduces
prices to their lowest levels in the
early spring months when demand
is at a minimum.
ut is frequently urged that the
coal producers should store a part
of their output at the mines in sum-
mel and thus render the operation
of their properties more stable and
regular. This proposal has the de-
feet of being impractical.
Goal mines are organized, aquip-
ped and operated t osend coal for
ward on a continuous journey from
the face of the coal seam to the
boiler room of the consumer.
IF it is moved two or three
miles from the face of the coal
seam underground, out into the day
light at the mouth of the mine and
there dumped on the ground or put
into storage bins, there is an in
in the cost of the coal Incl
dent upon its being placed in stor-
age and taken out again.
There is also a certain degrade
ton and deterioration of the prod
uct in storage, so that this stored
coal would have to be sold by the
producer at a higher price than his
mined coal if he is to avoid
a loss on the operation.
But this stored coal for which
he must ask a higher price is a less
efficient and less desirable fuel
than his freshly mined coal which
his statesmen can offer at a lower
I'm short a producer who would
store considerable quantities of his
own coal at the mines will newt
find himself caught between
the competition of his w freshly
mined coal and his storage coal and
must accept an inevitable loss on
The transaction in consequence.
"As a matter of fact, there is
a tremendous storage Of
coal in the United States, not in
The mining districts, but where the
ought to be; in OF adjacent
% the consuming centers.
Consumers and wholesale and
,etail distributors of coal have pro-
,ided facilities in which they regu-
arly store from 40, 1000 to 50,-
100000 tons of coal annually. Att
he beginning of the present strike
hey had utilized these facilities to
approximately IS, oO0 600 tons
# bituminous coal.
"This is practically all storage
" the consumers who W these
,reat stocks and are, therefore, in
ured against any raising of prices
n this tremendous tonnage"