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so that legislation from all sections of the country
could be attended to properly. To those who
have been in close touch with the secretary's work,
at Washington during the past few years, it is apparent
at once how much he has been crippled
in his work by not having the necessary support.
Tbe work has been carried on in small and inadequate
quarters The sec-ietary ha 1 had little assistance,
thus making it almost impossible for
him to attend to the many details that arose in the
various questions that came up before Congress.
It seems therefore logical to say that the present
demands of the: Mining Congress are such that
greater financial assistance must be rendered in
order that the secretary, if the work should continue
to be delegated as it has been, largely to
him, should be supported in the way of additional
help and money to defray the expense of the campaigns
that are necessary to be waged in connection
with questions that come before Congress.
1 will not undertake to bring before you all of
these problems, these should ancl I am sure do
come to your attention through the reports ot
your secretary, but 1 wish tu say that in connection
with the wort: ot the secretary at Washington
that it is not always what (he various chapters
and various individuals may desire to obtain on a
certain line of legislation, but it is rather what can
lie secured. In nearly every case, some sort of
compromise must take place in order to get a
DILL THROUGH CONGRESS.
While this is in some cases to be deplored, yet
on the other hand it is sometimes best to have
some person other than ourselves to come into
the consideration of these questions, and help to
solve them, for we all know by personal experience
that at times our own judgment has been
somewhat fallacious due to our over anxiety to
have certain things accomplished, overlooking
points that would be well to ha re- included in any
legislation under consideration.
From these various statements you will at once
recognize that the Mining Congress has still before
it a mission that no other organization can
perform. As state! before the very fact of the
organization itself being national in its scope, comprising
as it does in its membership not only men
engaged in all branches of mining, in all parts of
the American Cc.ntincnt, but also men who are
consumers of the; products of these mines, making
its members both producers and consumers, and
therefore the united action of the Mining Congress
of much more value as a public guide than it
would otherwise be if its membership was confined
to either producer? or consumers alone. We
believe that any careful consideration of the work
that is to be accomplished for the benefit of the
mining industry can be best carried out by a non-
THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN. 61
political, non-sectional organization such as thf
American Mining Congress.
I would in conclusion suggest that at this meeting
a committee on Scope and Financial Plans for
the future work of the American Mining Congress
be selected, and that they be requested if possible
to outline and suggest a plan to this session of the
congress so that the future efficiency of those
charged with the work of the congress shall be
increased, and thus the future status of the American
Mining Congress be strengthened and maintained.
CAR SHORTAGE CONTINUES TO GROW.
The fortnightly bulletin of the American Railway
Association states that on Nov. 7th there was
a gross surplus of idle cars on the lines of the
United States ancl Canada of 19,897, compared with
17,289 two weeks ago, but the gross shortage of
idle cars increased from 67,270 to 71,156, indicating
that there was a demand for cars that was 51,259
in excess of the supply. Two weeks before the
shortage was 49,981, showing that on Nov. 7th the
situation was worse by 1,548.
Following are the surpluses and shoitages at
various recent dates:
Date. Number Idle( Net). Decrease.
Nov. 7, 1912 -j'51,259 *1,278
Oct. 24 149,981 *18,402
Oct. 10 -j-31,579 *13,786
Sept. 26 U7,790 *9,170
Sept. 12 f8,620 *1,130
Aug. 29 9,750 34,151
Aug. 15 43,901 12,609
Aug. 1 56,510 13,412
July 18 68,922 *4,898
July 4 64,024 3,694
June 20 67,718 1S.66S
June 6 86,386 29,815
May 23 116,201 13,897
May 9 130,098 8,783
April 25 138,881 *59,492
•Increase.
-jNet shortage.
An important railroad transaction involving
coal traffic in the Virginia and Kentucky fields
was that of the purchase of the Wire Terminal
railway by the Interstate Railroad Co., Nov. 19,
at Appalachia, Va. Physical connection between
the two lines will be made at Norton, and the former
extended into the newly opened coal fields
in Letcher and Harlan counties, Kentucky, giving
them an outlet through Appalachia to the Virginia
and Southwestern railway to the Norfolk & Western,
and the Clinchfield railways into the Carolinas
and Georgia, and to South Atlantic Ocean ports.