Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 January 1903 — COAL WILL STAY HIGH [ARTICLE]

COAL WILL STAY HIGH

MINERS’ LEADERS SAY LITTLE RELIEF IS IN SIGHT. Vice President Lewie of the United Mine \\ orkers of America Makes Prediction that Consumers Must Pay Fancy Prices for Two Years. “There will be no relief in the coal situation this winter. Phenomenal prices will be maintained for the next rix months or more, and coal will be higher during the next two years than it has been in twenty years past. Grand juries may indict and government investigations may be conducted, but all attempts to bring relief will fail.” The above positive statement was made by Vice-President Thomas Lewis of the United Mine Workers of America, an authority qn the bituminous coal situation, to a correspondent of the Chicago Daisy News, at Indianapolis. His statement was indorsed by other leading representatives of the anthracite miners, who declared there could lie no relief so far as the coal situation was concerned for months to come. Many ''prominent delegates from different parts of the country indorsed the views of their national official and few, if any, offered any hope for immediate relief. What Brought About the High Prices. Vice-President Lewis said: ‘‘The present conditions*’ of the coal trade and the seeming scarcity of coal has been brought about by a combination of circumstances that cannot be regulated at this time. We all recognize a natural increase in the demand for coal in this country requires a large increase in production. The additional increases in the demand for export and to the requirements of this country as a world power have added largely to the necessity for an increased production of coal. “In the midst of this peculiar situation the strike that took place in the anthracite regions deprived the general market of about $25,000,000 tons of anthracite fuel, which could not be replaced by the bituminous production, inasmuch its the carrying facilities used in handling anthracite coal could not be utilized to take the bituminous coal to the markets. “When the anthracite strike was ended many people were led to believe that the markets would resume their normal condition aud that coal could be purchased nt a reasonable price. They did not realize that the railroads were already faxed to their full capacity In handling the increased tonnage of the last few years. Many people wonder why there has been such a phenomenal Increase in railroad tonnage and have not stopped to think that thousands of tons of the products of American manufacturers that are being shipped to all parts of the world must first be handled by the railroads before being consigned to the vessels that take them to foreign ports. This heavy traffic could not be neglected, even for the transportation .of the much-needed coal from the mines to the market. Railroads Cannot Help Themselves. “The railroad officials, that have been charged with conspiring to keep up prices, are not to blame. They did not anticipate such a large increase in the volume of business and did not make the proper preparations for equipping their roads with more rolling stock and motive power. Engines and Cars are needed now. but they cannot be got right away or for months to come, and the coal situation will not be relieved until the much-needed rolling stock and engines are secured. “There is no scarcity of coal at the mines. There are thousands of mine workers employed only four or five hours a day. not because they don’t want to work but because the railroads cannot handle the coal they mine. “The present phenomenal prices of coal will probably not continue more than six or eight months, but the selling price of coal in the next two years will be much higher than it has been for the last twenty years. “In addition to the above reasons for keeping ni> the prices the railroads, on account of the increased cost of construction and equipment, are going to advance freight rates on coal. This has already been done in several cases and it will be added to the selling price. “I can sec no hope for relief at present and make this statement because I do not believe false hopes should be entertained by the public." Representatives from the anthracite regions said the shortage of coal through the strike amounted to about 25,000,000 tons, equal to about 75,000,000 tons of bituminous, and that it would be impossible to overcome such a shortage .with the present demand. They said the anthracite operators would not attempt to Increase the output, ns they had a steady trade and did not want to increase it. They believed the shortage would have to be made up with bituminous and declared such a task almost impossible.