The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-19
Fuel Scarcity and Car shortage.

Painful stories come from the West
about fuel "famines' in the farming dis
tricts, and there is n disposition TO hold
the railroads responsible for not provid-
ing cars promptly to carry coal to the
neceesitous communities. There is more
or less truth in these reports. and no
doubt some fiction. As regards the wants
Of the people of southwestern Kansas the
scare has evidently been overdone. Zero
weather and scarcity Of coal, it was said,
had driven them into the churches and
schoolhouses to keep warm with a mini
mum expenditure Of fuel" and public
opinion found an indictment against the
common carriers for using their cars to
transport commodities which yielded a
greater profit than coal.
Governor HOCH was called upon to
compel the companies to engage in the
transportation Of coal, and if necessary
10 ~confscate fuel in their possession.
II is true that Governor HoCH received
from the Mayor of Meade a request to
use his influence To obtain a supply OF
coal for that town, where there was a
shortage. The Governor communicated
ut once with the Rock Island road. But
according to Governor HOCH the story
Of a fuel famine" in southwestern Kan
sas and the extremity Of the inhabitants
was a gross exagGeration. He is quoted
as follows:
so far as l know It is absolutely without founda-
ton. Every one in Kansas knows that continued
sero weather has not been prevalent in any part
OF the State this year. It evidently must have
been built up out of the despatch l received Friday
Of last week from the Mayor OF Meade telling me
that there was a coal famine in that place and ask
ing me TO use my influence with the railroads TO
get some coal hauled there"
Similar stories of p~rivation come from
North Dakota, where there is undoubt-
The details do not always hang together
well. At DEVILS Lake the situation is
becoming alarming; 10 actual suffering
has occurred, it is said, but that is because
the people can still borrow coal from one
another; the supply may hold out for a
few days; no wood al be purchased, and
90 on. DEVILS Lake is on the Great North
cT0y dDOuJ ninety uullco WocJ VI OIdIlu
Forks, in a well wooded country, and it
was hardly conceivable that JAMES j.
HILL, if he had any influence with the
Great Northern, would let the people of
DEVILS Lake freeze to death. In fact he
has such a paternal interest in the farm
folk of North Dakota that he is not likely
TO permit a fuel famine" to exist.
AZ Hwwr Ia .-- - A--In..--
the untoward traffic conditions to the
Interstate Commerce Commission, and
issued orders that special trains carrying
coal should lave the right OF way. "The
fuel difficulty is temporary he says, and
Is being rapidly remedied."
As is pointed out by Mr.. FRANK M.
MURPHY Of Arizona elsewhere in THE
Sun this morning, the railway operators
themselves are the persons not only
most directly concerned, but also most
capable Of lending expert first aid TO
the sufferers.
No rational man can believe that the
railroads desire to withhold coal from
their patrons, the producers of the com
modities they carry to market, or are
engaged in a conspiracy to accept only
perishable freight because it is more
profitable. The truth IL, there is a short
age OF cars as well az a congestion of
cars. The roads have been glutted with
business all the summer and autumn.
Doubtless there is adearth Of other com
modities besides coal in the West, and il
there should be an abnormal snowfall
matters wouldbe W worse for the rail-
roads as well as for their patrons.
The fact is, paradoxical as it seems,
there are drawbacks to superabundant
prosperity. With all our railroad mileage
and all our accumulations Of rolling
stock there are not tracks and cars
enough Just now for the transaction of
the business Of the country. It would
be tust as wise in the present exigency to
restrict the exchange Of products as to
give any commission power -to take
charge Of the physical operation Of rail-
roads.