The New York herald., 1922-07-23
COAL OUTPUT Is DUE
TO SET LOW RECORD
Continued from First Page.

Continued from First Page.
and other factors for al: OF the outlying
OF past adjustments. Because of this
fact there is no doubt in official quarters
in Washington that Mr.. Lewis would
enter negotiations with the central com
petitive field operators IL enough Of then
can get together to fairly represent the
territory.
Mayors Meet Harding.
Mayors of the anthracite regions ot
Pennsylvania In another conference with
the President to-day stated that armins
the mines meant bloodshed, and the
Pennsylvania communities they repre-
sent were not willing TO pay the price
They approved tfe Presidents settle.
ment proposal. but suggested that there
be only representative public men on the
commission.
y After the conference Mayor John F.
Durken Of Scranton gave out the follow
ing statement which was the substance
OF his speech to the President:
I'VE are the Mayors of the anthracite
regions in Pennsylvania. We represent
the people who are making all the sacri-
fces bearing all the burdens, the result
OF this conflict between the operators
and the miners. VII
!. 1--WE Are short Of coal, short Of wages
and there is a strong possibility OF dis
order the result of the latest move on
the part Of the Government.
IF the operators are disposed to de-
stroy the United States Mine Workers
and the price of their efforts Is the de-
struction Of property, riot and bloodshed
we are not willing to gay the price. II
on the other hand, a victory for the
miner will result in similar toll by
the same token we refuse to pay the
price.
I'VE are. therefore, interested, vital,
Interested. as you see. In an immediate
settlement of the differences between the
parties to the conflict.
I'VE are with you and approve Of ar
bitration, with an exhaustive investiga-
ton into everything that applies to the
cost~of coal from the face of the mine
to the coal bin of the consumer.
Makeup of Commission. -
"In the appointment Of commission
permit me to venture the suggestion
that it is. a mistake to have 1t composed
Of three operators. three representatives
of the miners and five representatives
Of the public. do not know whether yor
have considered this. but it is true thai
superiority. whether 1t Is intellectual OF
financial, generally mixes with superior
ity.
THE five men to be appointed from
the public necessarily win be called biz
men. When you begin to confer yo,
have eight men on the one hand. with 8
possible exception. AZ against thre'
men on the other. The operators and
miners have been talking over theil
differences for the last four months and
can come to no agreement. Is 1t not time
I to say Exit and call in five represcn
tative high type men OF the Republic
Let hem hire a few capable and homes
statisticians, send the men back to worl
at the old scale, establish a new scals
in the shortest possible time and give III
permanent peaceN
I'VE hope to meet Mr.. Lewis and HI!
associates and present to them the stu
alton as We now see 1t. We will ge
in touch with the operators II need be.
Secretary Of Commerce Hoover con
ferred with the President late this af
ternoon with reference to coal distribu
tion plans and the holding Of prices II
n market where consumers are willinf
to bid as high as $S n ton.
| Official figures from the Geological
Survey confirmed statements from Ad
ministration quarters that a coal famin,
surely was approaching. The survey
said
Under the influence Of, the railwa,
shopmen's strike coal production II
rapidly declining. Traffic congestion
has interfered with the placement oil
empty cars at union mines and the
weekly output Of coal is already run.
ming 100000 tons below the high point
reached late in June. In fact, the pres
ent week July 17-22) may even set q
new low record
Preliminary reports Indicate that
production cannot exceed 3.e00. 900 tons
against minimum of 3,575,c0o tons ir
the third week of the ntrike and q
maximum of 5.363. 900 tons in the twelfth
week.
I'm comparison with normal year.
the present deficit In production Is ever
more marked. Final returns on thu
fifteenth week OF the strike (July 1918,
show 4.l14.000 tons Of bitumipous Goa
and 200 tons OF anthracite, A. tota
for all coal of 4.145.0 900 TONS In the cor.
responding week Of 1921. year of de.
preston. the total quantity raised--an.
thracite and bituminous--was e.2S0,00
toms; in 1920 1t was 100000 TONS Ir
other words. considering anthracite and
bituminous coal as a common source
OF supply. the present weekly output ID
from 100000 to 100000 tons below
normal
"on Monday railroads reported load.
ing 1857 cars, decrease Of 2437 cars
below the preceding Monday.
by Thursday loadings had dropped
to 10S00 cars. the lowest on any Thurs.
day since the strike began.
THE decrease unmistakably was due
TO traffic congestion on railroads serv-
ing non-union fields. In southern Yves,
Virginia and eastern Kentucky. from
which the bulk of the country's supply
during the strike has come. almos,
every field reported acute transporta-
tion troubles.
I'm Virginia. western Kentucky and
Tennessee the interruption of car sup
ply was less serious. and In Alabama
and the far West II was increased"
The reports indicate no significant
change in the number Of men at work
Production In non-union Pennsylvanis
regions during tho first half OF tina
present week showed a slight decrease
from the week preceding.