The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1922-12-19
COAL MINES
Stated AS REMEDY

mission, appointed to investigate the
coal industry by President Harding,
IN which new capital is warned
away from coal mines as a waste Of
money and men, is SO different
from the principal of economies
taught during recent years. as to
form a document full of news
value. 1t follows:
The studies already made by the
United States Coal Commission all
point to the fact that the bitumi-
nous coal mining industry is over
developed. "Too many soft coal
mines and too many miners" de-
scribes the situation in plain English.
In these coal mines more capital is
invested and more miners are en-
ployed than are needed to produce
the coal the country requires. This
condition, of course, involves waste
on countrywide scale.
How great is the present imitation
Of the industry can not be stated
exactly at this time but unquestion-
ably the imitation is excessive. Es-
Inmates Of the excess mine capacity
range from 80 to fully so per cent
above the country's normal demand
which for the last five years has
averaged $40 million tons a year.
Figured on the basis Of their &C.
tual output for the best week in
1918, the capacity of the soft coal
mines was then 685 million tons.
Since 1918, unfortunately, the mine
capacity has been further enlarged,
and another estimate Of it can be
made from the average daily out
put last year: 800 days work at
that rate would have resulted in
$40 million tons being mined, or
fully 60 per cent more than the
normal needs Of the country.
How to debate the coal indus.
try is one of the many problems
before President Harding's Coal
Commission, and its reports may
be expected to present facts bearing
on this question. It seems plain
enough, however. that the indus.
try should not be further inflated
by opening new mines. The facts
already presented furnish a valid
argument against continuing to en-
list new capital in the business
thereby opening new mines that
are worse than unneeded. for they
further spread and thus overta,
car supply and shorten the possible
working time Of mines in the vicin'
ty that are already well equipped
20 ship so to 100 per cent more
,oal than they ship now. Indeed
The ratings Of mine capacity re
ported to the railroads for the pur
pose of obtaining cars would in
] dicate that the bituminous mines Of
| the country have a total annua
capacity of not far from billion
tons, instead Of the half billion
tons needed.
Exceptions may possibly be made
here and there to the ban which thu
investing public should put on Goa
mine development. A local marke
not well supplied with coal ma!
warrant the opening Of a near-b!
mine, which would thereby help II
relieve the burden on transportation
facilities, but 1t is believed tina
such exceptional conditions are rare
In the public land states Of tn
west, unfortunately, the fedora
government itself has not been abb
to discourage coal mine develop
ment, for, under the leasing law
the lessee Of government coal LAM
is required to open the mine and t
produce coal on a scale proportion
ate to the bona-fide applicant, evel
though the public interest does no
seem to indicate the need OF NOR
coal. The result will be that tn
west will soon find its coal mine
and coal miners as badly of a
those in Indiana and Illinois, wher
the working time is too short I
pay adequately either owners 0
workers.
| II the public can appreciate tn
strength of the evidence alread
available on this subject of overd'
velopment, refusal to invest in ne
coal mining ventures under preser
conditions will be recognized
both good business and good citisei
ship. It is plain enough that Tn
country needs not more coal MINE
but more work for the coal mine
we already have. One potent re'
son that coal is not cheaper to IA
consumer is that he is supportin
vast surplus Of Investment an IN
capacity. The large excess capacl'