Evening star., 1927-03-28
|STR|KE WILL HURT
u. S. COAL INDUSTRY
Operators and Miners Likely
10 &c Worst Sufferers.
Reserves Large.

Al Dispatch TO The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star
NEW YORK, March 2S.-The next
few days will determine definitely
whether there is to be a coal strike
in the soft coal fields of the Middle
West. A strike would cost each side
huge sums. In the British coal strike,
only ended short time ago, 10000
600 working days were lost. The
workers lost their wages and the op-
orators lost their production. The
loss of wages was '$275, ,009000, while
the loss in production exceeded ST.
500, 100000. There is no way of esti-
mating the indirect cost to industry
In general, but it was tremendous.
The American anthracite strike end.
ed in 1926 cost approximately $1,000
900 day in wages alone. 1t seems
unlikely, according to fuel men, that
if a soft coal strike is called April /
it will last long. Neither operators
nor miners are in position to stand
severe drains, while industry and con-
sumers in general are well fortified
with reserve fuel stocks.
Reserve Piles Larger.
Reserve piles are larger than ever
in history. They approximate 10000
600 tons, or sufficient, according to
the estimates Of Department of Com
merce officials, to carry this. country
through more than two months of
Winter weather. In addition, the non-
union mines have been accounting
for about 60 per cent Of production,
which recently has been running
around $4,000, 600 tons a week.
Naturally If there is a strike strong
efforts will be made to induce the
non-union miners of West Virginia
and other sections to walk out. These
men had a taste of high wages dur
ing the British strike, when demand
for American coal was at it's height,
but have been reduced since that time,
The extent to which they benefited
may be estimated by the coal tonnage
carried by the Norfolk & Western
Railroad in 1926, which shows an in
crease OF over 19 per cent to 45,599,-
$50 tons. There were 251 mines along
this road actually in operation.
Many of the union leaders feel they
can count on a certain amount of co.
operation from the non-union men.
On the other hand. operators say that
the union cannot hold its own mem
bers, and, that when their cash runs
out the union miners will migrate to
non-union fields and go to work. The
miners counter with the suggestion
that the non-union men will go out
for 81 time in the hope of being taken
by at a higher rate when stringency
makes its appearance.
Price Cuts Are Made.
AS result of the conditions out
lined above, the strike situation has
failed so far to cause price advances.
In fact. .-some of the districts not likely
to be affected have made price cuts.
The anthracite dealers are complain
ing bitterly because some OF the big
coal producers have made these cuts
earlier than usual The dealers claim
they are loaded up with high priced
coal and say they cannot afford to
drop prices to consumers despite the
cut in prices at the mines until after
April 1.
The situation in the anthracite field
Is a direct reflection of the anthracite
strike, no matter who was to blame In
that struggle. For consumers haYe
turned to other fuels in considerable
numbers. A bituminous strike prom
ises to further this move to other fuels.
During the war many new btu
minous properties were opened up.
w HeH Inc .GACGSSlNe tCdSSo,
the amount of capita, invested pre-.
vented operators from closing many OF
them. They have all been endeavor-
ing to cut costs. Insurance companies
have been watching this trend to see
that it did not progress to point
where safety was sacrificed and liabil-
ity risks raised.
The gas companies say the answer
to the situation in the soft coal indus
try lies in turning the product into
gas. Alexander b. Mac Beth. president
of the American Gas Association, says
a potential field for heating load of
SO billion cubic feet of gas year for
industrial purposes alone is just
around the corner in this country.