The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-12-12
WARNED
BOlaIllNNESTIN
FL|g!.!l I 1. !.
sdatal Coal Commission De.
cla;lfes Industry Already
pyerdeIeyolped.

been received here by the Northe
W st Virginia Coal Operators 1
ioeiation . The statement, viii
warns new capital to stay aw
rom soft coal mines, reads as {
,ows: Il
The istndles already made by
tie United States Coal Com
sion an point TO the fact that
e5bititminona coal mining III
dtstry Is oyerdeveloped. "Too
many soft coal mines and too
many minerBp describes the
situation in plain English. lp
these coal mines more capital
IS invested and more miners
are employed than are needed
toiproduce the coal the country
requires. This condition, Of
course, involves waste on a
countrywide scale.
How great Is the present In
f1ati ri Of the Industry can not
Be 8tated exactly at this time
but inquestippably the infla.
tioniis sexcegslye. Estimates OF
,the excess mine capacity range
from 80 to fully go per cent
sbof the eouptry's normal de-
fnaiy which for the last five
Years has averaged about $40
million tons q year. Figured
on the basis Of their actual
output for the best week Up
1918 the capacity Of the soft
coal mines was then 6Sb mil:
lion tons. Since 1918, unfortun'
ately the mine capacity has
been further enlarged, and an:
Mher estimate Of It can be
made from the average daily
output last year; 800 days
work at that rate would have
resulted In $40 million tons be.
ing mined or fully 60 per cent
more than the normal needs of
the country
How to- detlate the coal in.
tli1stry Is one Of many prob.
lens before President Hard.
ing's Coal Commission, and its
reports may be expected to
present faets bearing on this
question, 1t seems plain
enough; however, that the in,
dtistty should not be further
inflated by opening new
mines The facts already pres.
snted furnish a valid argument
sgainst continuing 10 enlist
now capital In the. business.
thereby opening new mines
hat are worse than unneeded,
Tor they further spread and
thus oyertax car supply and
shorten the possible wnFkS1y
tifdeNof mines in the vicinity
that are already we'll equipped
toship so 10 100 per cent move
coal than they ship now. In.
deed the ratings Of mine capa-
city reported to The RAILROADS
for the purpose Of obtaining
care would indicate that tile
IN ninous mines OF the coun.
Try have q total annual capa-
city Of not. far from a billtan
ons, instead Of the half billion
tons needed.
Exceptions may possibly be
made here and there to the
han which the investing public
ahould put gu coal mine de-
Telopment; A local market NOT
we'll supplied with coal may
warrant the opening Of a near.
by mine, which would thereby
help to relieve the burden on
transportation facilities, but It
IS believed that such except
ional condition sar erare. In
The public lRpd States Of the
West unfortunately, the Fed
erals Government itself has not
heen able to discourage coal
mine development, for, under
the leasing law, the lessee OF
Government coal land is re.
uufred 10 ohen the mine and to
produce coal on a scale proper
Tomato to the acreage leased.
There seems to be no legal
warrant for refusing a lease to
. bena.fide applicant, even
though the public interest does
not Seem TO Indicate the need
Of more coal !. The result will
be that the West will soon find
its coal mines and coal miners
as DadlS Off as those In Indiana
and Illinois, where theRorklng
time is top short to pay ade.
quately either owners or work.
ers,
II the publIn can appreciate
the strength 90 the evidence
alreafy available on this sub.
iect Of development, refu.
sai to invest In new coal min.
tng ventures under present
conditions will be recognized
as both gpod business and
good citiEsnship. It Is plain
enough that the country needs