Show A PINCH IN COAL at the beginning of 0 november a manufacturing concern was paying six dollars a ton for soft coal that had cost a dollar and a halt half a few months before and could get so little even at six dollars that it might be compelled compelled to shut its plant one day cleveland got ninety cars of coal in lieu of its usual allotment of some seven hundred bundred various industrial centers were talking about a coal famine there was a supply of coal at the mines but the railroads with overburdened equipment could not move it as usual the roads are prospering just now gross revenues in tile tho year ending juno june thirtieth were about and a halt half billion arsand doll net alter after paying a hundred ana fifty million dollars in taxes exceeded one billion so they can order equipment on alib a lib cral scale and are doing it but prices are high and plants busy it will be a good while before equipment ordered now is in use and tor for some years the railroads not prosperous they had little surplus revenue to buy equipment with and because they were not prosperous their credit was low we feel the effect of that that now in scarcity of coal and slow movement of freight generally even now in the face of a billion net last year railroad managers and investors tit in railroad securities are wondering what the situation will be after the boom if public regulation of railroads is applied in as narrow and jealous a spirit as it was for some years before the war individual shippers may applaud when a particular rate they are interested in is cut down farmers here and there may be fooled into thinking that the lowest po possible elble freight rate which does not throw the carriers into actual bankruptcy Is to their interest but it is very certain that for the country at large regulation in that haggling oppressive spirit does not pay saturday evening post dec 2 1916 |