Evening star., 1922-07-30
WHAT A COAL SHORTAGE
MEANS TO THE CAPITAL
Homes Equipped Only to Burn Anthra
cite, Production of Which Has Been
Entirely Suspended.

production of anthracite coal was
53,56s.6O1 long tons. and in the year
1921 the production was more than
80,0O0,000 tons. The population of
Washington has increased very great
ly in the twenty-year interval, and
the demand for the coal here neces-
sarily is much larger than at the
time of the former strike.
Only Anthracite Affected.
When President Roosevelt took
hold of the situation and the appoint
ment' of the coal strike commission
followed. the mine operators and the
miners had both agreed to abide by
the decisions of commission to be
appointed by him. The strike was
confined to the anthracite mines. and
the bituminous mines were not closed
then, as they are today. The report
Of the strike commission, which was
headed by Judge George Gray of
Delaware. reads today in many par
ticulars as though it might have been
written in connection with the exist
ing strike.
The commission expressed the hope
that the strike of 1902 would be the
last great coal strike. Very much
as the world war was believed by
some to be the last war" the war
to make the world safe from war.
But now. twenty years later. the coun-
try is in the grip of strike even
greater than that of 1902. The fe-
port of the commission said it hoped
that, during the period covered by
it's award. 1.-The relations of operator
and employe will have so far i'm
proved, as to make impossible such
a condition as existed throughout the
country in consequence Of the strike
in the anthracite region.
Nevertheless" the report con-
tinued, "the public has the right, when
controversies like that of last year
cause it serious loss and suffering. to
know all the facts. and so to be able
to fix the responsibility. In order to
to do this power must be given to
authorized representatives of the
people to act for them by conducting
matters involved in the controversy"
Same Thing Sought Today.
Today Senator Borah of Idaho,
chairman of the Senate committee on
education and labor. has offered
bill providing for a commission to
investigate all matters relating to
the coal business. He goes further
than this, however. and calls upon
the commission to advise Congress
as to the advisability of the govern
ments controlling the coal industry
through drastic regulatory laws. or ma
tionalizing" the mines. 1t has been ad-
mitted many times that there is some
thing radically wrong with the coal in
dustry in this country. So far no remedy
has been evolved by the owners. And
now it is proposed that the government
take a hand and settle the matter.
So far as anthracite coal Is concerned,
there is limit to the supply which is
GUS estimates have been made as to the
length Of time before the supplies will
be practically exhausted, ranging from
100 to 200 years. The anthracite fields
are confined almost entirely to Pennsyl-
vania, an area of 496 square miles In
nine counties of the state.
Little Used Before 1920.
Until the year 1920 the use Of an
thracite coal for fuel was practically
nil, although its use was discovered as
early as 1853 by pioneers in the Wyom-
ing valley, and during the revolutionary
war the 'black stones." as the new fuel
was called, were mined and used in
small quantities. The production for
the year 1920 was given as 365 tons. The
anthracite industry grew rapidly there
after and in 100 years has become an
enormous business upon which millions
of people rely for work and fuel.
What the losses will be from the pres
ent coal strike are still incaIcuable. But
they will be srsrmous, when the wages
of the men on strike are considered, the
loss to the mine operators, and to the
industry of the country. The Roose-
welt coal strike commission estimated
that the loss to the mines, in 1902, was
S46,10O,0O0, and to the workers. some
25,000,O0O. But these figures will pale
into insigniicance when the loss from
the present strike in both anthracite and
bituminous mines is totaled.