The Washington times., 1923-08-10
COAL IS MOVED
ASFAST AS
MINED
"Economic> Concert" Enables
Operators to Hold Supply
Down, EVeritt Finds.
By TOM EVERETT.
Cosmopolitan News Service.


Five Federal Government agencies
today agreed that anthracite coal is
being moved away from the mines
as rapidly as It is being produced
and is being absorbed by, storage IN
the bins of householders or by
storage in the yards of retailers.
With a threatened shortage OF
anthracite on September 1, II the
miners strike, and a shortage by
January 1, 1924, If the miners do
- ~--'1-e. az ind'cated nv statistics
furnished by the United States
treoIogIcal Survey, the United States
Bureau of Mines, the United States
Department of Commerce, the Fed
oral Fuel Distributor and the United
States Coal Commission, the nine
railroads which tap the Pennsyl-
vania anthracite coal fields are
n which anthracite is most used
according to the ALLEGATION plan Of
the general policies committee Of
anthracite operators.
Based on Old Shipments.
This ALLEGATION is based upon the
shipments to these sections during
the season of 1921-1922, and each
State will receive its proportional
based upon the amounts shipped
during that season. Last winter,
after the strike, 80 per cent Of the
! 1a21-1a22 shipments were allOcated
to the different States, although
many StaLes actually received more
than their allocated amounts.
Just what percentage Of the 1921
1922 shipments is being used as a.
hasie for distribution. Of this years
anthracite output cannot be learned
d this time. but Government ex-
| merits said they are certain it will
be more than the 60 per cent Of last
year.
The 1s21-1922 shipments of anthra-
cite to New York State amounted to
IL ,848, 9O3 tons from September. 1921,
New York district 6,505,0 tons;
TO Massachusetts, 3,491 ,070 tons; to
the metropolitan Boston district,
1.112,537 tons; to Illinois, 1,780.412
tons: to Michigan, 1902 ,665 tons: to
WISCONSIN. 1,326.979 tons; to Mary
land, 867, 344 tons. and to Pennsyl-
wanna. 7.267,35 tons, as shown by
statement Of the general policies
committee of anthracite operators.
More Being Mined.
More anthracite coal is now being
mined and shipped, per week, than
ever before in the history Of the
anthracite industry: therefore, it
was pointed out by coal specialist
of the Government, 1t is natural to
! presume that the distribution this
year will exceed that of 1921-1922,
which was a normal year.
Even If there should be no strike
on September 1, there are several
probable causes of a slackening of
production in sight after that date,
according to one of the men con-
| suited. One cause is the possibility
of disturbance in the anthracite
field by the radical element OF
miners.
Another reason is that the miners
have worked hard this summer,
/ accommodating some funds, while
usually summer is a slack time for
them, so they may want to slow up
in the fall.
! Still another Is the fact that the
railroads in the coming winter prob
ably will have the heaviest general
traffic in their history, and by being
overburdened with other business,
will be unable to handle the anthra-
cite coal as fast as it is mined.
In Economic Concert"
To exactly what extent these
matters may affect production and
distribution, is problematical at this
time.
The net result Of a close analysis
OF the situation, after carefully
consulting with every available
authentic agency in Washington,
would seem to show, using the
exact words and terms of the ex-
perts and coal specialists: fitst, that
the anthracite coal operators are
in economic concert" to hold up
prices and adjust production to
demand; second, that there will be
a shortage Of anthracite, with or
without a strike; third, that the
use Of substitutes for anthracite
is generally discouraged by the
operators; fourth, that retailers
have been favoring their selected
customers: fifth, that all the coal
that is being produced is being
distributed on the basis Of the
1921-1922 shipments.