CMPLD Local History Collection

Libertyville Independent, 19 Feb 1920, p. 18

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O)c SHPENTSt ALE s8WJ\j iutEN)AJG ADBQuATE 3 ýUPPLY foithé IS "'i. 8-, Fiipping Board Represeitativc Tells Senate Suh-Committee That Bitu- minus Exporta to Europe and South America Can Be, Spare Without Exposing Consumera Here to Risk of CoId Winter. ONLY REAL MENACE IS CAR SHORTAGE Lack of Coal Cars Ila Forcing Many Bituminous, Mines to Run on Part Time, but Railroad Administration Representative Testifles That Ex. ceptional Efforts Are Being Made to Improve the Situation. F 7EARS thât te exprtng ot bituminons mal j~teoaur allies this year wFould increase the danger of a coal famine in ttis country, vwerc dissipated b>' a representative ofthte U. S. Shipping Board at the resumption of the Inqîiry which the Senate Sub-Committec is holding i Washington lnto the satt conl situation. Il. Y. Saint, head cf the Expcrt Ceai Depart- f ment cf tihe Siipping Board., lad Senator Freling-1 huysen's Committee that sending tise seven million tons cf bituminous coal due ta be shipped acruss è the Atlantic between now and next April wili neDt1 injure the doraestic situation. aor cause an ln-2 crease in the price of bituminous ceail ere. lun addition te clearing up the unfounded rumners con-c cerning thse expot situation, tihe urirg devcioped thse fact that if thceItaiiroad Adn-iistratlon cia inaterially redkice car shortage, thse clîsef menace to the domestie coal situation wil leceiiminâtcd. Itcprescsvtatives af the Railroad Administration 1 ad.attcd thattise car saortage problenm was a reai one, but derlared that extracîd(inary' efforts cero being made te eliminate it. Mr. Saitit, ssho alppeared for the Slipplagt Bard', gave a dctailed account ta *Utc Senate Sub- Conusî'ie;.e oftheicefforts whiclk [isbourd Is mak- àn, tio co-operation witb the bituminous aperatars,, ta suppi>' Frpee, Ital>' and severai other Etîrapeon1 - countries witii the cool which. tlicy se sorly need, without leaving tis cauntry' at the nsercy of a badl Iinter. 'Tiscre are demands tramn practically ever>' European eeuintry,' he said. *"Thty came frein France, Switzerland, UiceNetierlands, Denmssck, Ital>', Greece, Portugal nnd North Atriran caun- * tries; but the greategt pressuire riglit nt tihe priment time la rm traly>, and tien France."' Even the British bis l ad askcd for American meaI, but flanc Laid ben supý1icd. lie sid. ENGLANDS- PRODUCTION DROPS. *"The threatened ceaI famine In Europe Is due 1 *primaril>' to the talling down of thse production ins 1 * Eesgland.. England was the great exporting ecoal1 nation before Utcestar, but, ber exports have » dropped t,'om about sixty-sevea million tons to ap-1 prcsximately twenty-thirce«miUien tonts: Ital>' geL thse bulk o her mnal trom England. France got a *very considtrable amount. The Nortiieraneutralsj *got their Col mostli f rom England and South j Atùeriea gaI às veut deal cf 1ier cool tram the saine rounte>'. In addition 1EnglanîI kept up praeticufla f b>' hei self the bsînkering seuation lofthtIe wotld. 'ri5t la, she suppli'd tlip e cai that hssprdto j tbt 'euakerlng, stations througl.ou tIhe world te1 suBli!th we l'saipping.*» CQue.stioneul specitbealv as taejiý.t Iov Uie ce- t lired c.aipradîsction la Englsnd 's auf t ing thse oiher European couritrica, Mr. Saint cited thie casei r, --'a Uc l'a "'s': W7ee i-" oa1i ieloaed rJ o Cors' «Tise Italuan impactsa! Ucoalt fron.» England ha- tare tise stuc scre approximateiy ten million tons," Le aid. "Lait year Enginnd sent t ta l> ap- pmoximatel>' four' million tons and tisis veac up te date she is doiag uer>' little Letter. Tîsat leaves Èetwcen tour and five milion tons et ceai ta Lc supplied ta Ital>' by other nations, and wse are pructicailly tisecul>' nation that con suppi> tiiet cea." "la lIaIly carrylrsg an>'ofethIis cool la herewn shipa ?" usked Senutar Vrelinghnysen. "Yes," replied tise sitacas, "I underatandthtia Itly 'la euerying Borne oet lis aceailu lner osan battonos and tisai the Italuan High Commission lu titis countiry'ha cbarteced a number etfs'esscis et ogier govcrnmeats to carry coal toa ticeunir>'." IL wia bcought eut ut ibis juncture.tisat under tise Paris agreement Engîund stas supposcd te tube cure ufthe tIsoais ceai situation, but ihat osing te tise reduction la ber productien et coul it stas im- passible ta senul mucis more thon four million tans tram Engianul ta Ital>'. AMERICAS COAL FLEET. Se that tise Commitiec stoulul bave a clear con- ception et just wsat tise Unitedl States suas doing in thie ta> cf ceai exporting, tise sitaess reported on the amount af tonnage wiich tise ShipSg huard bas la tie coul trade. "On Auguat 13," lie suid, "ste isat one Luis- dreul andl ninety-tou-? vessels in tise foreign coul irade, net ineluding tLe West Indies, andi a total tonnage cf ine hundreu tsacnty-niae thausanul six isundred anti igty-four tons. 0f tisai tonnage, tbere sans 85,111 tons-la tise Swedisis trade. Two Lundreul tiirt>'-five ibusanîl six Lundmed and thirty-threec tens stas la tise Swlas and Netheilands trale. Tise cuber tonnage ws distribnted as fui- lests: To Densnurk, .7.000 tons; lIai>', 105,503 tons; France, 188,8E9 toisai Souths Atrica, M0,512 tons; Grecce, 26,284 tans; Portugal, 9,500 tons; Belgium, 1 0,500 ions. W'e Lave aIse sent onceamail aiipmeart et 2,600 tons jup ta Greeniand.- bMm. Saintczplatned îLot al liais cepreseaied Slipping Board tannage osaneu b>' the, Unitedl StatsaandlLot tise Shipping Board Is9isandling relativcîy about thirt>' per cMt o f tie coul expert' trodîr. lie added dtinluteris, eTcent IL meont tisai tisis ceunir>' u"uld have 668,000 tomsaof!evpert cool afloat na i fex U n utise present auppl>' ot Amserican sips. LasI year, a ecitring ta tise Shipping ]osrd representatiu-e, thse United States exported 21.051,.' 9791 tons, tncludis ',, approximatel>' 16,800,000 tons- te Canada. This ycac, Le aaid, we would export less toCanada and about 7,000,000 tons te Europe. -Concernlssg thse need cf Europe for coal," said Mr. Saint, "the figures in tise Siippin8 Board ceai department show that tLe werid's miol sortage now toals approxlmateîy 62,463,000 tans. This shortage, ste figure, Includea 48,800,000 tons In German>'. German>' loses a large portion cf ber coul territor>', aud at the same time, burdens of 23,000,000 tons cf exporta are imposed upon Gcr- mony by the peace treat' Witls the Saur Valley' fieldq lest ta Gcrmany and the Silesian mines9 talcen tram ber there is littie reasn t believe t!iat Ger- mn'v silile able ta pralure the ccai tîsat Is le- mandcd cf ber.» TUE PRICE TO GERMANY. Q uestiancd us te sthat German>' would bave te puy tiiscountry, if ssîpplied with cool f romn Amer- Ican mines, tise witness suid It wauld ameunt ta practieul.ly Z44aàtan, includiag tihe rebg]iÈ-rates. The witncss stas then usked If he thooglît the inecsed prices which tihe operators couid reccive fat, export ceai would resuit ia inereased prices bere. "Tise quantit tisIoI going abroud ta net sut- ficient et lîseif ut titis tirne te radical>'mnreuse prices," Le repiied. "'Nec de 1 believe that suflicicut coul ta going abreod te pructicailly Injure eue domestie situation. I migliL add tLiat tise price of caport ceai ia pructicail>' contcolled b>' the avail- aLle tonnage." Pcioc tota ing -up the expert situation, tise Senute SuL-Commsitc recalled ' J. D. A. hborrow, Vice President of the National Ceai Association, and qizzed bim concernlug car abortuge, labor sisortage and tIhe price of itumonius essai At thse mine nsoutk. Mr. M'erraw cucul a number et con- crete cases et carrsisetage in tise diflecent bitumi- nouashicids tisougiseut the ceunir>'. Ceai prîces, Le said, arc rrgulatcd b>' production and Lecauso car sisortage Limita production iL tends ie incecaso prices. lie ad dcd, hestever, tisat tise preserit pricea la most of the districts were steil under tise"-pricc set lest yeac b> tise Fuel Administration and tisat- tise percentage of profit on thei capital' investeul stas sa'l' o illustrute lie cited figures sisowing tisat-in 1918 tise.average coul cof production la tIhe Pittsburghs Distriçt was $2.00 per tons sud ibat lise average. price cealîzeul was $2.48, or '& profit cf mcei> 6.5 per 'cent on tise capital Investcd. "For tise flirstsix moulus- ot 1919," bcse li, ".tis-e average cst of production la tisé Pittsburghs District sans $205 and thie average price, realizeul e2,a profit ot eni>' 2.9 pet 'Cent on tic capital iavÈsted.". bIUST REDUCE CAR SHOIUTAGE. l3et! NMr. Morrowv andl Johun CaUsahsn, Troffie Manaujcrf the National Ceai Association, agrced tîsat i order ta produce 1 1,00U.000 taxis petiieek for the ceai of thse >ear stiichis, Làtaestimateul, la necessar>' If a laie sippy ot'bitumhsnous coal la La bc prevldcd 1i<nt1112 outry >tssYcear, ltwould be nec'---o ~&5,. A4~mI,îrto t ake HI IIL~ ut 'y' à ' reai reduction ln the. car sîsortages tisai are now limiting peaducticn in a number of the bituminons fields. Mr. CaUlalan submitted ta tihe cemmittee sCv- rirlihundred telegrama reiating to car siiortages at variaus mines.- These telegrumi lninad that mon>' mines had bren forced ta slîut dovwn entirel>' andl Llîat etîsers stere working oni>' thrcc and four days a stcck. I'ollowing the siibmission cf tiiese telegrams, Senator Freiingbuysen celîcul as a stit- ucas A. G. Gutlicim, Assistant Manager of tbe Car Service Sectior cf the llailroud Administro-tia)n, and ausked him wliat was being donc Lv the Rail' road Administration ta help imlirove.tuie situation. 'In the last two steeka," Mc. Guthlîcm salul, .1we have made some very exceptionul efforts to Impreve thse generai situation. WVe knew ilsat as sonr as '.he shopmen's strikc came on IL Ras going tri bebâtd as camparer! îith what iL hâd been. We, have n*M -of the regiersal directors postcd and the,> have their feulerai mau gers postcd te de ever>'- tlîing passible ta apccd up the movesuent of coul and utfcnnpty ceai cars. We are making extra- ordinnr> efforts ta take caré of al cases sîlicriacoi la dcîaycd en route, by requiriag dail>' wlrc reports tram tise regionai dîrectors as ta wlsat the sitnation i3, and checking anc regionial directrir againttaun- ailier, so îLot et averlap1ping peints the>' will not geL caught. "'We are arranging for andl are qetti'sg daiiyr reports et ail instances wîiere ceali ja1iîcid ut desti- nations fat urlonding la exces ettihe trce time tisat is eilowcd: that il forty-eiglht houri. 1 miglit say an titat point thut on anc raiicoad Lise first re- port tiiot came in shosteu thut tise bs s as the equivAlcust cf about ito lundred cars at tlîe mines that day, as comparcd with wat iL teuldl have been if tht>' couid have lisaulthe cars bock at the mines Instead of waiting for unloading rit destina- tien.*» THE PRIORITY PROBLEM. ..No;, 1 cannaI tel yau tram megmory, certain of tihc cuber ibings tisat Lave Le< donc, but 1 tisink that cverytbiag thsat coula reasonabi>' Le ex- pected witb duse regard Le utc riýhsaof-otiser cern- meditica La being donc. The great probfl'ca ta ste have te -consider t tipý tise cool operator Les Iust anec coamodit>' te th"nk about, and tisaI is culi; but -ste have tu th"i o f ever>' other ceas- 'anadity thut moves on Lise railcoada andl not permit an>' unjust discrimination againit thiea." "You have priorities, Lave you net?" asked Seliator Frelingiscysen. "*Priorities are a star time measure," &nid tise wtness, "and tLe>' put a god man>' people eut of business saLa deaice tu sLip other commodities tIson cool ln open top çars; Lut ste bave Leen attemptIng te give ilsem. a chance tu rccoosp. TYon are ight when yaps sq îLot the wlisole question Le hast mucc ceai have ste geLta have." After a discussion as ta thiether 500O,000,000 tonsa waý nat a very conservatîve estinsate fer ibis year, %I1. Gutiseim s t n'ied if Le haulan>' aue- gestions ta asýake as to Lest te meet tLe coul situa- The -Our ' - i Unehang.able Polie>, of One Prce la Our' 319944t Asset C.5 - e ~ rTc. "If ste are galng te produce 5000,000taAnse ot fitumlnaus ceaI ibis ye3r," le repiied, *"we h ve~ got te go &long at practicaUy the top speed ste 'ai in 19 18, on thse average. In thse period frets, U the middle cf Jul>' until tise mldlc of Noveni~ 1918, saben everytbing possible was donc te.favor tLe production of bituininous coal, ste averaged less tsais 12,000,000 tons a weck Te do tisat ve lied a situation us tui repairs tisat stas bctter than IL fi nasa. Lt lias bren acccntuated sosnewiiut, cf course, as ta tise bod urder car situation b>' the slîoprnen's strilce, but in aecoiaplislissg Lîsat record lest ycar mc bad a pretercîistal mas ement of coaI cars, lond.d and empty, on a great mais>'rairaudi. *'We lied aise a courment efthte use et coal cars by certain comidities et lesger niccessity in tise sar tîsan co.si, and tise prohsibition et aller eoînmodities tisat sacre flot neccasuea ai al. Visar read building jobs, for Instance, practienU>' stopipeul. Those ibingi are isithin thse povec. af tise Itailroad Admilnistration ta put Lack iniQ effecz and tise> contributed nisieriali>' ota t record.' Frink NteNtanany', Assistanst l)ire'ctor ot Oper-. ation, 'in charge of mecisanicai maters for ilts Rail-' moud AdministraLien, foliowed Mcr. Giitticim-cia thse ataxtul and preslented stattitica concerning thse numn. ber of.ioconsotives and f reiglit cars eut cf order this'. yeae. The locomotive stal'istlcs slsowed that iLe 'gcne2rni condittan pt locomotives 1la better than It Lus Leen et ans> time diiring tis*e'periù federal operution or during the tiîree-year test period preceding. "Ttîeretore," suid, tise sitcs, "se fer as locoe-t motives are concerncd, timere la no grosînulfar ap- prehiension, as theme will> Le suii ' ent powter toi Liandie ail business offered te the snaximssm1 carpacity o! terminailt acilities. WitL gespect toi freiglit cars, tlise situýtion is somewliat different." 99,000 BAD ORDER CAR&. fleughsi> speaking, tLe stitncss said, there sacre apprexiseatel>' 99,000 coul cars. in tise shaps awarit- rojng repaies n'est, asnd that tise>' hspeul te reducel ibis number et thé rate cf more tisa 5,000 carcs per mnthibunlesunfoccacen tabac iroubir-à mâsteriaiized. . "WLile Lise number of Lad order cars is isigL1 at present," Le said, the action whîlish lias been1 taken b>'tise Railzead Administratiosn, sili, I1LW lieve, be sufficicat ta meet thse demanîl for ceai cars- untesIt reaches abaorusal proportions, lu il tichj evtrnt il"wili not Le )c mucis due te car abertage as] to termWnal focflitics." C. E. Lesher, lu chirge o! Fuel Statistisj -tise GeeVogical Surie>',' vas calied b>'te Cn tee lnu' n effoan ta get samne accuratefilgitre cernng-tise actuel coisuiption et bitumins4us cgel ln this ceuntr>' luis yrasr. lie said that tii figures'. were not avalloble, os ,thc Geolo)gkul SUWstV hud ne appcoptiation sahieL iL cauld tise to ",~re thi Information essentiel te such an estimate,Y-f e'was'5 reqguestcd te asic Secretar>' at-tise laterl4;jff.ai-,t 'sjificsient t mdi couid iet Lt-mitde avalS'by thse.' Departset th iselaerier te accore tl~ca moi), Cou are fi-aturîrs; TIhni re ili]IR lA m rlm, arfunsi,- A Arce i wool tabr i'y a ceat liala prica t4OM o

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