On March 10, 1933, the Lykens Standard announced the permanent closing of the Short Mountain Colliery, with the reason given by the local superintendent, W. B. Geise, as the cost of labor making coal not competitive with other fuels. What Geise failed to mention in his statement was the safety record of the colliery, particularly in the months prior to closing, and the cost of implementing required regulatory measures to protect the miners.
SHORT MOUNTAIN COLLIERY TO CLOSE DEFINITELY
According to an official announcement made Friday morning last week by the local superintendent W. B. Geise, Short Mountain Colliery, Lykens, under the management of Susquehanna Collieries Company, with the district office in Nanticoke, will close in the near future definitely.
The local working which has been in operation on a small scale for more than two months will not be opened and all operations will come to a close within the next several weeks
Superintendent Geise said:
“The Short Mountain Colliery will be abandoned permanently under instructions from the manager’s office of the Susquehanna Collieries Company at Nanticoke.”
“The reason is that the colliery cannot compete with the present wage scale, with other fuels.”
Superintendent Geise said that he understands the Susquehanna Collieries Company contemplated abandoning all mines in the Lykens Valley, which includes Williamstown. He said that he understood that the Lykens office would be closed now but that the Williamstown office would remain open at present.
Upon being asked yesterday morning is he had any further statements to make concerning the local colliery Mr. Geise said: “I have nothing further to add to the statement made last Friday morning. It looks bad to me.
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News clipping from Newspapers.com.
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