The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-03-25
MORE ECONOMY
IN PRODUCTION
OF COAL URGED.
Hammond Commission Sees
Need of Greater Substitu-
ton Of Machines ID Mines
ALSO TRAINED ENGINEERS
Scientific Management as I'm
Dortant as II Other Indus
tries, investigators Aver
BY COLE r.. MORGAN,
TJnivernnI service.

by COLE e. MORGAN,
Universal service.
Greater economy in the under
production Of coal is one
Of the needs Of the industry to
reduce the cost to the consumer,
in the opinion Of Chairman John
Hays Hammond and members Of
the United States Coal Commits
sion, as expressed yesterday.
This conclusion was reached as
the result OF personal inyestiga.
ton of mine conditions made by
members of the commission, par.
ticularly In the bituminous district
bf Alabama. The mines need:
METHODS OUTGROWN.
Al greater substitution Of ma
chine for hand labor in the cut
ting Of coal to enable the In
dividual miner to get out more
coal In a working day.
More adequate underground
transportation to facilitate the
movement OF the coal from the
miner to the tippIe, so as to
eliminate loss OF time Of miners
waiting to move. the coal after
1t is dug.
EmpIoymento Of experienced min.
ing and mechanical engineers TO
systematize underground produc-
ton and increase efficiency, just
as the big industrial plants add
to their production capacity along
scientific lines.
The increasing demand for coal
with the growth Of population and
industry, together with the in.
sistent demand for mine labor for
reater compensation, has impressed
the commission with the necessity
Of providing the means OF increas-
ing Individual production. While
many OF the larger mines use
cutting machines the smaller mines
still stick to the pick and shovel
method of production, which, in
mining is just as costly as pick
and shovel excavating is as com
pared with steam shovel digging.
FIND LOST MOTION.
The commission found much lost
notion in the slow movement CT
soal in the mine passages and
shafts. The coal must be moved
Is the miner digs ii before he can
30 ahead. In the narrow. low mine
shafts there is no room to stack
,r store 1t.
TIE commission would meet this
situation by eliminating the mine
mule and moving all shaft cars by
motor. laying heavier tracks in the
shafts to carry heavier loads and
more main tracks and
sidings.
Many of the smaller mines. it is
pointed out, cannot afford the ex-
pense OF technical engineers. The
would get around this
situation by having several mines
N a given locality jointly employ
In engineer to supervise their pro-
AUCTION.
Generally speaking, the commits
sion found a high class of develop
nent in the fields inspected. The
anger companies, it was found, pro-
vide excellent housing. cheap sup
plies for their workers and favor
able working conditions.
FEDERAL BUREAUS AID.
The commission in its investi.
cations has the cooperation of
every possible Government agency,
including the Interstate Commerce
Commission, Internal Revenue Bu-
reau, Bureau of Mines, Geological
Survey. Census Bureau. Fuel Dis
tributor's office, coal division of the
of Commerce and Pub
lie Health Service.
Next week the Public Health
Service will send a force of sanitary
engineers into various mining dis
trictss to study health and santa
ton. The Internal Revenue Bureau
Is giving the commission valuable
in its study of earn
ngs of coal companies as revealed
through income tax and excess
profits returns. The Interstate
Commerce Commission is exchang-
ng data on questions of car sup
ply and transportation. The Cen
sus Bureau furnishes statistics on
and consumption. More
technical questions of mining are
treated by the Bureau of Mines
and Geological Survey.
STUDY JOINT OWNERSHIP.
The Department of Justice also
8 lending it's aid. Acting Attorney
Seymour has conferred
with the Commission during the
past week on the legal phases of
oint ownership of producing,
and distributing
agencies. particularly in the Penn
'ylvania anthracite fields.
The Commission will make recon-.
as to how and where
hose interests should be dissolved
or the public good. On the one
hand 1t Is seen that economies
an be effected by moving the coal
lirect from mine to- consumer
through one organization. On the
>ther hand there is seen the dan
ger Of monopoly.
Not only is the Commission CO.
ng into American mining condi-
ions, but this week 1t has beer
with a vast amount OF
lata concerning the mining laws
II Europe and the naturalization
II the coal industry abroad. This
ZONES from the International Labor