The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1922-06-29
The Coal Strike Situation

ucally all sections of the mining field
10-Year Increases in 5ituminous Goa
Output
In the year 1850 the output from
the United States was 1920. 600 tons
in 1890 it was 10000, 900 tons. an in
crease of $50 per cent for the lO-yeal
period. In 1900. the output was 200.
600, 900. an increase of Go per cent for
the 10 years. In 1910, the output was
$50, 100000, an increase of 95 per cent
and in 1920 the tonnage had reached
to $4,000. 900 tons. an increase of As
per cent The average shows that
the output of coal doubles every 10
years. The last l0-year period. how
ever, would indicate a slowing down
due to the greater use of fuel oil and
electricity, but. according to the law
of averages and the continual growth
of this country We should find that
with the revival of industry. our an
nual output should reach to 100000, o.
200 tons, and when it does, the output
will have caught up with the mine
development Of the present day
The present sO-called overdevelop-
ment is the greatest protection to the
industries of this country in ensuring
TO them a continual competition in
the price of bituminous coal that will
always enable them to obtain their
fuel at a minimum cost commensur-
ate with the wages that the miners
are paid
As to seasonal fluctuations, a great
deal of this could be eliminated if
the largest steam users-manufact-
urers public utilities and especially
the railrOads-wOuld make contracts
for the fuel based on receiving so per
cent of their annual requirements
during the four dun months of the
year and the other so per cent dur
ing the other eight months The cost
of storing the surplus coal received
during the four months would be alb
sOrbed by the operator in making his
price. either by a reduction in the
yearly price or by an allowance on
the price for the surplus stocked The
greatest advantage would accrue &c !
the railroads, which would thus in |
crease the available car supply dur
ing the winter months, and enable the |
operator to have a tonnage to meet |
the seasonal demand of the winter
and. at the same time, maintain
output
Long Term Contracts Needed.
1t would be of the greatest possible
assistance. also. in the stabiliation of
the industry if coal contracts could
be made for a term of five to ten
years. The present short term con-
tracts reaching from year to year Of
fer no security for the development of
a property When the contract comes
up to be bid upon, it may go to some
other mine which has been able &c
see it's way clear to reduce the price
a few cents a ton. A mine that loses
a large contract can not afford &c
close down and abandon it's invest
ment, but will struggle along as best
it can hoping that the next year il
may secure the contract again. II be-
comes a continual temptation, in o
that is still so rich in unde-
velOped resources as this. for opera
tors to open new mines adjoining the
old ones knowing that their costs ir
the early years will probably be less
than those of their neighbors. on ac-
count of the greater expense for the
of the older and larger
This would be eliminated
to a great extent if the railroads and
larger users would make long term
contracts, as capital would be very
slow to invest in a new operation if
the tonnage normally mined in tina
section We're contracted for MAXIM
an additional market problematical.
Mr.. Hoover's Conference With the
Non Union Operators.
The commanding feature in the BIZ
luminous situation was the meeting
n Washington on May Is, called by {
Mr. Hoover, of the operators of the
mines in West Virginia and Pennsyl =
'ania which are still producing coal
The decreasing stocks and the in
.reasing demand for coal throughout I
he country had been reflected in the
light increases of the price at tho 1
mines and large increases were re-
ported by some consumers who 4
fought their coal through brokers. Q
Mr.. Hoover's plan of bringing to- c
ether the operators in the open shoI 9
mines is an extremely valuable one
some legal means can be found b, t
which a combination can be made not t
My for the protection of the public Q
turing times of coal scarcity but foi +,
he protection of the mines them b
elves from unfair competition anC '
he reduction of prices below the cost c
f production. Unquestionably, there
will be a shortage of coal as time goes Z
n, and the great pity is that thi,
ould not have been anticipated early q
n April so as to have allowed the
pen shop mines to produce a maxi e.
mum tonnage.
IL would be of advantage to the