The Washington times., 1931-02-16
COAL INDUSTRY.
COOPERATION
IS URGED.
President of National Group
Claims 300 Firms Should
Not Fight Each Other

NEW YORK, Feb. 16 G.N.SO
The bituminous coal industry
would be made prosperous if 300
of the larger companies would
cooperate instead of fight each
other, c. E. Bockus, president of
the National Coal Association, to-
day told the coal division of the
American Institute of Mining
and Matallurgical En- gi neers S
meeting. BokuS said:
"The coal man can never
expect Government help such
as has been tried for the
farmer, but might it not be
reasonable to expect that some
day there may be freeing from
the unreasonable restraint of
industry so that there could
be cooperation that would ad-
just supply to demand and Sc
cure an economic return for a
great natural resource?
None Too Confident
81 am none too confident
that at this time such freedom
would accomplish the results
desired; but ultimately that
would appear to be the only
sign board pointing to a path
out of the existing mOraSS."
While declaring that the future
undoubtedly would hold grea t
things for coal, Bockus stated
that bituminous coal will do we'll
to hold it's own in the next 10
years.
Dependent on these next
few years may also be our fate
as to whether or not we are
to survive, to be in existence
when new uses and better de.
mand for coal have changed
from hopes and prophecies to
accomplished facts"
High Average Mined
Reviewing conditions in the bi
luminous industry, Bockus said
that inclusive from 1927 to 1880
an average of SOB, ,782, 900 net tons
per year was mined. He added:
THAT is our current maxi
mum market. The development
of other fuels, notably natural
gas and oil, with further in
crease in water power, will take
up any advancing demand for
fuel for power for some years"
Exports Won't Help
Weighing the present possibili.
ties of widening and increasing
markets for bituminous coal, Boo
kus was not cheerful about the
export field helping the present
situation. He pointed out:
To-day the other coal pro-
ducing and export countries are
in a stronger position to COM
pete with our Goals in world
markets than they were in 1926
when our exports were at high
marks.
Export combinations have
been perfected and we see in
England, our chief competitor,
practical cooperation on the
part of the government to in
crease the price to be paid by
the English consumer SO that
the export trade can be carried
on even if it is at a loss" =,
Explaining that the export rail
rate to our principal coal port is
now eighty per cent above the
pre-war level, Bockus said that a
substantial cut in rail rateS-eVen
if it did bring an increase IN ex'
ports to half the figures OF 1876
would go only part way in solving
the depressed conditions in the bl-
luminous industry. He declared:
Debated Selling Price
"CoaI has completely deflated
its own selling price in this
country. We are back on many
grades to prewar prices and
am not sure it makes any diff
ference which war you select
civil, Spanish or world.
"Slack of good quality has
been sold within the month not
only for less than cost but
almost for less than the roy
atty paid.
millions of tons are sold for
less than the labor cost alone.
Let us face the conditions as
they exist. We are to have
market for somewhere between
46O, 100000 and 53O,OOO,OOO tons.
On that we have to live or die.
without better realization many
must die"
Sees Battle Royal
The speaker pictured the pres
ent situation as a battle roya
with destructive competition caus
ing depletion of assets to ever
the survivors.
While admitting that 6,057 btu
minouS coal mines were in pro
duction in 1929, which made co
operation appear impossible
BockuS held that if 300 of the
larger companies co-operated il
could do much to stabilize the
industry.