The Washington herald., 1922-03-06
U.S.. COAL SUPPLY
HELD AMPLE in
EVENT OF STRIKE
Industrial Demands Are
Now at Low Ebb, Ex-
pert Declares.
RAILWAYS EQUIPPED
Have Sufficient Cars for Haul
ing and Storage-Soar-
ing Prices Unlikely.
RAILWAYS EQUIPPED
By ii. A. HARING.

A general coal strike in April
now seems to be unavoidable. and
strikes make foal famines and high
prices. A second element in coal
prices is the railroad car supply
In 1922. however. there are indica-
tions that we shall have neither
coal famine nor unreasonably high
prices. Industry and railroad de-
mands for coal are at low ebb.
Furthermore, the non-unionized
coal fields of West Virginia, Ken
lucky and Tennessee have become
such important producing terrific
ries that, under this years condi-
tions of reduced demand they will
be able to supply the needs of the
entire country.
This hope of averting coal
famine. even with a strike, is rem
dered possible only by the fact that
railroad car surpluses are running
high. Under ordinary. industrial
conditions the railroads would not
have enough available equipment
to permit the storage of coal in
anticipation of the strike. Ordi-
narily. too. their equipment would
be cutie insufficient to enable the
long hauls to unusual markets that
will occur when the non-unionized
mines Of the Southern States at
tempt to care for the needs of the
nation. This year. however. the
railroad car surpluses will permit
both the unionized and the nom
unionized mines to load coal before
the break of the strike, and will
permit the non-unioniIed nom
striking mines during the strike to
supply the country. The railroads
also will themselves be able to
move the coal to the market
There Should be then, as already
stated. no coal famine and no un'
reasonably high prices.
Railroads are Prepared.
In West Virginia. Kentucky. and
Tennessee coal is already being
loaded into railroad cars in antici-
patton of the strike. To a lesser
extent the same thing is happen
ing in Pennsylvania. Ohio. Indiana.
and Illinois. In all these coalfelds
the railroads began shortly after
the first of the year to accumulate
coal against the time of famine af-
ter April /. At such times as this
when coal is being accumulated to
carry them ever temporary needs.
the carriers hold their reserve fuel
in the cars. not unloading il at
storage points. Equipment thus
used for coal storage naturally de-
creases the number of idle cars. II
follows. therefore, that the result
ant statistics of car conditions are
misleading. because the increased
number of cars under load" does
not predicate any industrial re-
vival II is merely a provision for
the future.
This accumulation of fuel in cars
on the part of the railroads recurs
every time a coal mine strike is
threatened. Nor should it be
thought that such loading of coal
is confined to open top" railroad
cars. Closed cars. of the boX-car
type are alsC used. Regularly this
style Of car is utilized for coal for
railroad purposes in certain parts
of the country. particularly west of
Ohio. WREN the railroads load coal
to be held for storage. il is custo-
mary to load mrch of il in box
cars for better protection against
weather to some extent, but NOR"
especially against theft