, 1922-07-03
The Situation as to Coal

There Is cry great danger tina.
unless something Is done soon to in.
crease h production and transpor.
tation OF coal there will be thrown
upon the railways after the strike is
ended a burden greater than they can
bear" says h Railway Age. The
pubic should be warned now of the
conditions which apparently are go
ing to develop on the railroads unless
the amount OF coal given to them to
handle speedily is largely increased
THE Railway Age in an editor1n1
In its last issue gave some facts which
Indicate that a serious congestion of
traffic ms shortage Of cars may
come this fa, and winter. Some per
sons and publications have expressed
the opinion that We are unduly
alarmed. Let us consider the situ-
alton in the light OF the latest avail
at,e Facts. In the year 1920 the rail
ways handled the largest traffic in
recently hSve been handling more
traffic than they did in the CORES.
ponding part.of the year 1920.
"Traffic always increases during
the lat summer and early fall
months. This is especially true of
coal traffic. The average number of
carloads of coal handled by the rail-
ways in the weeks from September rs
to December IS. 1920, was 217. 200.
This was 112 ,1s1 more than the num-
Der of cars of coal shipped in the
week ended June 10. 1922. II the rail
ways in the week ended June 10. 1892,
had handled as much coal as the av-
'erage amount handled weekly in the
fall and winter months of 1920, their
total car loadings would have been
5 s.1s3. The largest traffic they ever
handled in n week was In that end
Ing October Is, 1920, and was 1,01s.539
carloads. OF this. 226.671 carloads
were coal leaving 79kS6s carloads of
other traffic II this figure be com
pared with that for the amount of
traffic other than coal handled in the
week ended June 10. 1922. it will be
found thai in his latter week the
amount of traffic other than coal han-
died was only 8 per cent less than the
amount other than coal handled n the
week ended October Is, 1920. the larg-
est in history.
Does anybody doubt that traffic
other than coal is going to increase
between June and October was not
between the week ended June IL and
the week ended October Is. traffic
other than coal increased 1896 car
loads or over Z per cent. AT that time
h country was entering a period of
violent business readjustment and de
preston. and the increase in traffic
between June and October was OF
normally large. This year the coun-
try apparently is in a period of in
creasing business activity. This in.
dicates that h increase in traffic
other than oal between now and fall
will be more than normal.
The amount of coal produced and
transported during the first half of
1921 was about 10000, 900 tons less
than the average amount produced
and transported in the first half of
the last five years.
lone OF the most ominous features
of the situation is that up to the
date of the latest available report the
amount of coal which had been car
ried by the railways to the Lake Erie
ports and theme by water to the head
of the lakes to supply the needs of
srhe northwest was only about 3,O0o,-
900 tons. At his time last year the
iamount exceeded 5000, 900 tons. II the
northwest is to have sufficient fuel
ito carry 1t through the winter there
Unjust be dumped at the head of the
lakes during the season of navigation
from rs. 900 900 to 80, 0oo. 900 tom Of
Local; and already the dumpings at the
head OF the lakes are 5000. 900 tons
below normal.
The situation developing demands
speedy and constructive action. The
production of Goa must soon be in.
creased. The shipments of all other
freight which a be accelerated must
be accelerated. The railways must
get ready as rapidly as practicable to
deal with a record-breaking business.
The shipping public must p to
cooperate with the railways by load.
ing cars heavier and loading and I'M
Heading them as rapidly as practic-
able. Tho railways are in no way
responsible for the coal strike or its
probable disagreeabie n costly after.
math. n in this instance coopera.