Sailg Name Industrinl Markt-n
Published Daily except Sunday
By Nome Mine Workers’ Union, No. 240, International Union of Mine,
Mill and 9m eiter Workers.
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•m Tear_-_
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■stored aa second class matt or Ha reh 1, 1»I1, at tt» port »•
Kamo,»Alasxa, natftr U« iel of Harsh I, 117*.
-All change# In standing advertisements mart roach thin oHca at >ix
•’dock each evening to tnaure Ineertloa In the following laeue.
Advertising ratee made knoe a oa application.
“To aecare to each laborer the whole product of his labor, or as
nearly aa possible, ia a worthy object of any good government."—
Abraham Lincoln
Address all Communications to Dally Nome Industrial Worker,
Box 210 Nome, Alaska. Phone. Black 114.
Nome. Alaska, August 2d. I »17.
MOP.K ABOl'T ('OAK.
The coal production in the bitum
inous fields has now been fixed by
the government for those several
states wherein they are operated. It
is based upon an average which has
little or no relation to the costs of
production.
It is purely arbltary and although
it cuts down the profits of the own
ers of the industry a little or con
siderable, it still leaves quite a
margin for profitable operation.
Let us consider one state alone.
The state of Illinois which is one of
the leaders in bituminous coal pro
duction. In fact its production is
only exceeded by Pennsylvania and
by West Virginia.
In 1916. just a year ago the price
of coal at the mine was approximat
ely one dollar a ton. Since then
a wage agreement has been affected
whereby in some mines the labor
Increased ten cents a ton. Since
then, too, in the month of Juiv the
price of coal increased from the
above amount to $2.7 5 or more. In
fact Illinois producers were circulat
ing Wisconsin with coal offers at
the mine of from three and a half
to four dollars a ton. They alleged
that these terms were especially
favored by Franklin K. Lane, Gov
ernor J. F. Fort of the Federal
Trades Commission and the Com
mittee of the Council of National
defense. They had jumped up their
prices over 200 per cent and had
the official approval for such a pro
fitable increase as fully in line with
the exalted patriotism that was
characteristic always of the coal
kings. Hut then Secrcatry Lane
has always been the good angel oi
the corporations.
Ton cents a ton was considered a
reasonable profit at all times but
the actual profit was in the neigh
borhood of 750 per cent. And that
certainly was enough to make any
<-,ne patriotic.
The labor costs on an average for
a period of fifteen years in Illinois
have advanced 20.fi a ton of which
10.4 cents was during the past
*ii gift sen m; c.tli..
liming that time the i.nh - boats
inct eased their rates from lorty or
lifty cents a ton to a dollar and
quarter cents a to" and railroad
transportation increased to a pro
portionate ratio.
Now an investigation carefully
made reveals first of all that the
coal mines can take care and that
/o an excess of the largest present
time demands for bituminous coal
But it has also been revealed that
the production is not within forty
per cent of the possible maximum
requirements for domestic or indus
trial uses.
It was pointed out the shortage
enables the companies to charge
what they pleased up to this, and
that the shortage is arti
ficially created is self evident.
The capacity of the modern com
pressed steel coal car is about fifty
tons although much larger are in
actual operation. There cars how
ever are net utilized for coal exclu
sively but other heavy material is
freighted in them and often times
with special bottoms such waste ol
freight space is to be noticed ac
cording to the investigators as auto
material and the like. The compa
nies blame the railroads for the
ear shortage but when it is remem
bered that the Illinois Central, the
& O., the C. & A., the Elgin
■Jofliet r.nd Eastern, the Illinois
Springfield, the C. C. C. & St. L.
the B. & O.. The Chicago Junction
Railway, etc., in fact all the roads
running through Illinois are also
interested in coal companies, the
great josh that has been perpetrated
upon the people at the people's ex
pense will be noted.
Indeed these eoal and railroad
companies have developed a war
lime efficiency of their own, and
with such members of their honor
able boards on the Council of Na
tional Defense, urging and support
ing the high rates above referred to,
we can understand that profits and
patriotism, however some may re
gard them as incompatible. have
been mixing in the pleasantest kind
of emulsion a profit-loving man can
swallow.
President Wilson has set the
price of coal at the mine mouth at
one dollar and ninety cents. The
average price paid by the Pullman
Railroad last year including trans
portation to Chicago was one dollai
and ninety eight cents a ton, so that
we can understand the new rate is
not intended to interfere generally
speaking with the profits of the bus
iness. but merely to prevent a soar
ing price interfering with the ac
tivities in industry which might
hamper the war operatious. In
other words the mine mouth price
under the regulation can be con
sidered nothing else hut more than
generous. It is Quite evident that
"reasonable profits" are still to be
forthcoming.
Now we make a guess that the
employers w*ill not take kindly to
this regulation and that labor is to
be the fall guy of the regulation.
\Vc venture to state that pretty
soon the press dispaches will be
mentioning that the Illinois coal
{ operators are discovering that they
I cannot concede the increase asked
! for by the coal diggers and that
j they will insist upon reductions and
I say that inasmuch as they patriotl
| cally bow to the government reduc
j lion, so also must labor do the
| same.
YYTe will venture to predict, and
base our prediction upon the ex
perience of the past, that the coal
operators will make the most of the
opportunity to pass the reduced rate
upon the coal diggers. They cannot
hold the consumers up for more and
and they will make the workers en
joy the privilege of patriotically ac
cepting the reduction themselves. It
is quite clear that if they can do
this on every ton. still higher than
it was last year even under the pre
sent regulation by at least 75c.,
their profits will still be a dollar a
ton more than they were in 1916.
The man who owns the mine, has
surely the whip hand.
And now turning from these pa
triotic considerations to our own
little burg in our own little land of
Alaska, we ask how the newly re
gulated price of three dollars and
twenty-five ccnt3 a ton in YV’ashing
ton state is going to affect Nome.
After all the considerations re
garding the conditions of things in
Illinois are mostly in the nature
of speculative philosophy,. Those
who live in Nome will not be com
forted by the fact that they are
burning four dollar coal in Chicago
while twenty-five dollars a ton goes
up in smoke in this neck of the
woods.
Let’s figure this thing out as It
should work out if the “reason
able profit" system were not so
much actually in evidence.
Coal costs for transportation from
from Seattle to the docks in Nome
the sum of $12.50. That iticludes
the cost of lightering but not the
wharfage which costs in the neigh
borhood of fifty cents a ton.
Here we have 3ome tangible fi
gures, three dollars and a quarter,
plus thirteen dollars equal to six
teen dollars- a ton. Allowing five
dollars a ton for the cost of rail*
road haul and for company profits,
sacks and sacking costs to land coal
in Nome for r. maximum of $21.
But that's not what we pay now for
coal, and it js unlikely that w-e will
pay that for it under present sche
duled indications.
The Alaska Lighterage and Com
mercial Co., intimates a difficulty in
buying coal. The coal shortage that
that we have referred to still ex
I
ists, and those who try to buy are
likely to be up against it, if they act
iA an independent capacity as the
Watch Dog of the Treasury, once
upon a time, found out for himself
and the city.
We believe in figuring as above
we have put the margin of profit at
a “reasonable” maximum. But It is
not in evidence that there is to be
any more a tendency to lower rates
for Nome than has been evidenced
elsewhere. So it is that the public
is likely to be compelled to pay all,
the traffic will bear unless some
advantage is taken of the reduced
rate for coal In Washington and re
lief come in that manner.
Come to think of it there is no
more reason why Nome should pay
$25 a ton for coal this winter than
Illinois should pay $2.75. Nome is
in no more position to pay that
price than is Illinois to pay the
price that has been asked by the
operators there.
May be it is that being isolated
so far from the productive fieds,
the people of Alaska cannot expect
to receive the benefit.
The fact is that not in all its
history has Nome faced a fuel pro
blem so serious and so acute.
It is so serious that it is one that
the people of Nome must themselves
take action upon, either endeavor
ing to have the co-operation of the
local distributors towards securing
a reduction in the price, or in turn
ing to the government for some ac
tual relief.
Coal and fuel of all kinds in the
north is no less essential than food
itself, ty'armth is no less necessary
than clothing and shelter and food.
Everyone is stirred when the
grocer increases his price and
there is certainly no reason why an
increase in the price of fuel should
not occasion the same agitation.
A* we see it the existence of this
camp is dependent just as much
upon a reasonable price for fuel as
a reasonable price for food, and
unless something is done, the people
will sooner or later be compelled to
turn the key in their empty houses
[ and get out.
We do not believe that the system
of distribution is accompanied by
the most satisfactory and economi
cal advantage to the public here. It
is one sided. We have seen it
stated in a statement pubished as a
reason for the probable increase
that in Argentina the coal is forty
dollars a ton.
That is due of course to the lack
of tonnage. But as we understand
the steamship companies here, they
are always willing to afford space
for Nome. Moreover the fact that
coal cannot be obtained is no more
a justification for an increase in
price tor what is now on hand than
it is a justification for the grocer
who knows no spuds can come in'
from the outside jockeying his price
up to eight dollars a crate.
Paying $25 a ton for coal that
was shipped in a year ago, is allow
ing certainly a more than ample
margin for interest upon the origin
al cost of coal.
The time is now ripe for the peo
ple in this camp to look a little
ahead. These times of war are go
ing to press hard upon them, but
they will press no lighter if they
allow their affairs to drift and take
no action regardless of what those
who control distribution here are
doing. If they accept any price
named that they are charged for
the commodities which they
need, without demur and sensible
action Icokink towards a prevention
of a policy may be “reasonable” In
the minds of some: charging all the
traffic will bear, thev are jut doing
their level best to justify the exist;
ence of such a suicidal policy.
That’s the way we figure it out
any way. It looks as if the people
of Nome were afraid to give the |
subject a thought. And it is high
time that they made use of that
degree of intelligence that they may
have been endowed with, to see if
they cannot bring the price of coal
or any other commodities within
the realm of more equitable distri
bution.
URGING RIGGER PLANS
COPE WITH U ROATS
WASHINGTON, D. C., Aug. 21.—
Following up its recommendation
for the establishment of a special
anti-submarine department of the
United States Navy to act in cone
I junction with that department of
the British navy which was estab
lished last Fob., the Navy League
holds that this is still necesary
The League alleges that “the re
cord of anti-submarine work from
the beginning does not. it is be
lieved. incline the public to rest en
tirely content with the suffiency of
the measures undertaken thus far.”
They want assurance of "further
progress”.
NOTICE OF IjF.WINCJ.
I intend to .cave soon for the Out
side. All accounts against me will
be paid promptly upon presenta
tion. Similar promptness upon the
part of those indebted to me will
be greatly appreciated.
DR. MUSTARD.
FOR SALE:— Piano. Call up Red
126.
Why worry
About wash day
THAT’S OUR BUSINESS.
Satisfaction Guaranteed.
BOSTON
STEAM LAUNDRY
444 Front St. Plione Main S3
BOARD OF TRADE
Restaurant
and
LUNCH ROOM
George Modini,
Proprietor
TO THE PUBLIC
Commencing Today,
AUGUST 11,
The Price of Bread wilt
be 10c. a loaf straight
Other Goods raise in
price in proportion.
Signed:
North Pole Bakery
Anvil Bakery
Nome Bakery
Arctic Bakery
ALASKA STEAMSHIP CO.
S. S. VICTORIA
IJBAVK SEATTLEc LEAVE JTOMKt
Vta Seward, Valdai end Cordova
Witt oat Additional Charge.
SEPTEMBER 9 SEPTEMBER 14.
OCTOBER 6. OCTOBER 92.
HAILLVG SUBJECT TO CHAWOR WITHOUT NOTICE.
R. A. Carroll, Agent, Nome
From Nome
August 31th.
I^From Seattle
August 18th.
SEPTEMBER 28.
OCTOBER 25.
SEPTEMBER 15.
OCTOBER 13.
RIGHT RESERVED TO CHANGE THIS SCHEDULE.
PACIFIC STEAMSHIP CO.
ALASKA L. A C. CO.
AGENTS
At Dock.
F. J. O’CONNOR,
Commercial Agent.
Front St. and Steadman Are.
Charles L. Ross
Milling, Lumber, Contractor
HAVING TAKEN OVER THE FREIGHTING & TRANSFER
BUSINESS OF W. STEIGEL MAIER AND OF LEO KENT,
FREIGHT ORDERS AND TRANSFER CONTRACTS WILL RE
CEIVE PROMPT ATTENTION.
3RD AND B STREET. PHONE BLACK 162.
S. S. Standard
Hails every SIX DAYS to
DIME AXD WAY POINTS
weather permitting
.'JR
Front Snake River.
CHAS WECKMAN.
INDEPENDENT
MEAT MARKET
W. H. Webb prop. Phone M.15
CHANGE IN COAL PRICES.
On Aug. 10th, Wellington Coal will be $2:1.00 per ton in yard.
On and after September 25th, Wellington Coal will be $25.00 pr
ton in yard. Briquets will continue at $18.00 per ton iu yard.
We ate experiencing great dittlculty in securing anthracite
coal for winter use and cannot guarantee having any quantity
on hand.
Alaska Ljgftterage Comercial Co.
THE NOME INDUSTRIAL WORKER
is prepared to handle
all kinds of
JOB PRINTING
Let us figure on your
work. Call up Black
134 or call at
THE INDUSTRIAL WORKER OFFICE