The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1903-01-14
MITCHELL Letter.
Requests Mine Workers to Use
All Means to Relieve
Coal Famine.
DUTY TO ALLEVIATE DISTRESS.
oetroIt MunlelpaI commIsslon YIN
Go Into Open Market and Buy Coal
for Cash a. Res. Possible Prices.
The Situation in the West.

The Situation In the West.
Philadelphia, Jan. 1s.-President
Mitchell. OF the United Mine Workers
Of America, last night issued the fol
lowing circular letter to all local
unions in the anthracite districts:
philadelphia, Jan. -. 1903.
ITO the Officers and Members of Lo
cal Unions of the U. NJ. W. of A. in
the Anthracite Region:
"Gentlemen:-You are no doubt
aware that serious coal famine ex
lists. in all the eastern and seaboard
cities. due to the shortage of the an
thracite coal supply. The situation
has reached an acute stage and has
resulted in great suffering and hard
ship to the poor of the cities whose
earnings are insufficient to enable
them to pay the excessive prices now
being charged for fuel, and 1t is sub
jecting the general public to great in
convenience.
Duty to Relieve Suffering.
ITO relieve the situation and al
leviate as far as possible the suffer.
ing now being endured is the duty of
every one connected with the produc.
ton of coal. With this end in view
We are prompted to address this com.
munication to all members OF our
union and request that they cooper
ate with the management of the mines
in an effort to increase the produc,
ton of coal. The gravity of the sit.
uation is such as to require that every
In ell III,
use every means at his command to
this end.
Upon reading this communication
IN the columns of the daily papers
local unions should hold meetings
and devise means whereby the daily
output Of the mines may be increased.
These efforts should be continued un-
til the wenther moderates and tho
great necessity for fuel shall have
passed"
Detroit Municipal Coal Commission.
Detroit, Jan. 13.-After listening to
the only bid received by the munich
pal coal commission yesterday, in re-
Spouse to It's advertisements, the com.
mon council in special session yester.
day afternoon instructed the commits.
sion to go into the open market and
buy coal for cash at the best prices
available. The only bid received,
which was for only 5000 tons of soft
coal, to be delivered between now and
March L. was referred to the commits.
sion for disposal. 1t was the opinion
of the council that owing to the length
Of time it would take to get the coal
offered in the bid 1t was better for the
commission to buy in open market II
possible. II the commission is unable
to make satisfactory purchases in the
open market the bid may still be &C.
ceptcd. The commission yesterday
afternoon carefully investigated the
offer Of the water commission to loan
1t 1000 tons of soft coal and practi.
cally decided that 1t was not possible
to accept the offer. The coal, which
is run of mine. is stored in such a way
as to make it almost impossible to
handle 1t.
Must Hold to Fixed Price.
Des Moines. Ia, Jan. 13.-The Soft
Coal Operators association of the Des
Moines district held a meeting yes.
terday and decided to refuse to sell
coal to Des Moines retailer dealers
and teamsters who have in the past or
may in the future sell coal to consum.
ers for more than So ton, the retail
price fixed by the association. The
demand for coal has been SO great
that dealers have had difficulty in I'LL.
ing their orders. Because OF the de.
mand some of the retailers have adj
yanced the price to as high as $3.50
a ton.
Not Pound of Coal on Hand.
Topeka, Kan, Jan. 1s.-The fuel
situation grows more alarming in To.
peka. Two of the largest coal com.
panies In the city report they have
not pound of coal on hand with
which to supply their orders, and do
not know when they will be able 20
get any. Packing houses and other
institutions will have to close in two
days unless this situation is relieved.
The local gas company may have to
close this week. as the works cannot
secure coal to make gas. The street
railway company has only small
supply OF coal on hand. Other Kan
sas towns report practically the same
Lituation. The weather is clear and
cold and much suffering has resulted
Situation Serious.
Omaha. Neb.. Jan. 13.-For the first
time during the winter the fuel situa.
ton has become serious in this CITY.
Coal dealers generally, while not 81
well stocked as in former years, were
fairly well supplied with anthracite
coal up to week ago. The ruling
price has been SIS ton, but even at
these figures the supply has become
nearly exhausted. Several business
concerns were forced to close yester-
day for want of coal.
Both Cases vIqorously Contested.