New-York tribune., 1922-09-05
Rail Heads Declas Cars
Are Available ana Pre-
dict Normal Condition
Soon After Resumption
Mines Said To Be
I'm Good Conditions
Loree and Rine Insist Sur.
plus Rolling Stock Can
Avert Amy Shortage

Assurance or the railroads ability
TO transport all Of the anthracite coal
mined as soon as production is re-
sumeds was given last night by officials
of two of the most important anthra-
cite carrying roads. In agreeing that
the end of the anthracite strike had
come just in time to avert suffering
due to q fuel famine, coal dealers had
cited the possibility of freight tie
up as the one factor which might up
set this optimistic view. Positive as
sertion is now made by railroad ex-
ecutives that they will have no dif-
fienlty in moving all OF the coal mined
ard that substantial surplus of roll
ing stock is available for imm ediate
use.
L. r. Loree, president of the Della
ware 3 Hudson, and E. NJ. Rine. vice.
president and general manager of the
Delaware, Lackawanna d Western,
gave. this positive assurance yesterday
for their respective roads:
I'VE will have no difficulty in NOV
ing all @ the coal offered said Mr..
Loree. II know the Delaware &. Hud-
son has 1000 cars, each car having a
capacity Of about IS tons, available at
once, and believe the other hard coal
roads are as we'll OFF. AS matter of
fact. there is substantial surplus Of
coai-carrying equipment on all of the
railroads"
Well have the cars when the mine
operators have the COAL" was the way
Mr.. Rtne put it. He said that about
1000 of the coal cars owned by his
road had been lent. to the Pcnusylva-
mia when. Immediately after the sign
ing Of peace in the soft coal industry,
there had been a pressing need for
cars. These cars can be returned in
ten days, however, he pointed out.
because OF the commanding position
anthracite industry the views of both
Mr.. Loree and Mr.. Rine that the mines
are In excellent condition and should
be able to attain normal production
within a short time agter work is re-
sumed are considered significant, Both
railroads owned and operated sxtcn-
sive anthracite properties until or
dered to divorce their coal interests
byahe United States Supreme Court.
Contrary to the prediction of the
coal operators that ii would take at
least month before normal produc-
tion could be reached Mr.. Loree said
he thought 1t would not require more
than two weeks to have the entire in
dustry producing its normal output Of
anthracite. He secuted the possibility
of any serious deterioration in tho
mines halting the production Of coal
and pointed out that maintenance
men had been constantly at work
throughout the five months of the
strike. Not only were the pump and
engine men left at their places by the
,pnian order for a suspension of min
ing, but the carpenters, machinists and
cable ropair men have not laft their
post since the miners quit on April l.,
This, he thought, should make urineces.
sary any extensive repairs either TO
mine timbers, hoastways or n1aahir-
cry Mr.. Rfne substantiated this view
and thought, with Mr.. Loree, that nor
NAL production was o matter Of only a
comparative short time after work is
resumed.
on September III is now considered
certain following the ratification Of
the settlement by the scale committee
of the union in Philadelphia yester-
day, and interest is now directed to
what steps will be taken to assure
New York State of its proportionate
share of the hard coal production.
This probably will be one of the first
questions to come before the State
Fuel Administrator, whose appoint
ment Governor Miller is expected to
announce to-day. In the absence of
Federal regulation it will be difficult
to exercise any control over coal ship
ments or TO prevent mine owners from
sending their product to other sections
of the country or Canada, or wherever
tie bait of higher prices may be of
fered.
Governor Miller already has consid-
cred this question and is seeking con-
certed action in Congress by the New
York and New Jersey delegations to
protect the two states. This became
known yesterday when Governor Ed
wards of New Jersey issued a state
nlent scoring Senator Joseph Freling-
huysen for his alleged failure to coop
erates in this effort. The other mem
bers Of the New Jersey delegation
have assured Governor Edwards of
their support.