The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-07-16
COAL FAMINE
IN NORTHWEST
PRESIDENTS POLICY OF WITH.
DRAWING COAL LANDS FROM
PUBLIC ENTRY is BLAMED,
FIFTY THOUSAND TONS
Sent BY Government From Baltimore
to Pacific Naval Stations-Great
Distress Expected Coming
Winter.

Butte, Montana, July l5--A lthoug,
the middle of summer a serious Goa
famine Is felt throughout the North
western states, The Northern Pacific
IN Montana, Is obliged 10 purn Hook
Ing Valley (Ohio) coal notwithstand
! ing strenuous efforts to secure addt
tional local supplies A Spokane
Montana, agent has orders for 205
cars. but has been able 10 secure only
10. Il is difficult to get any coal from
Canada as the Canadian Government
j forbids export Of Canadian coal until
home demands ARE filled. Nearly al
the Northwestern coal mines are run
ming day and night bat are all away
behind in their orders. great short
age exists on the Pacific Coast, The
government has been obliged to order
10000 tons sent from Baltimore to the
naval stations on the aPcifc Coast
Last Winter when the great coal fam
| inc prevailed in The Northwest barns.
| fences, even floors Of houses. were
burned for fuel That famine was
Ipartly broken by large imports form
Australia, Japan and Canada This
year 1t is claimed that the eitre pro
duct of Australian mines viii be need
ed al home; also that little coal can
lie obtained from Canada because nf
the enormous Increase Of population
lin its Nor hwestern Provinces, maxi
ing it impossible for the Alberta
mines of Canada to supply the local
demand last winter the Canadian
Pacific hauled coal 2.o00 miles from
Nova Scotia TO Alberta to help supply
the suffering settlers. What the PEG
pie of the Nor Invest, to wit: Mon
tana, Wyoming, the Dakotas, Wash
ington Oregon. Idaho. Utah, Arizona
Navada and California, are going to do
for coal the coming winter is a serious
question. Long ago the authorities
were warned that the coming winter
would show a 40 per cent storage OF
coal. hu it looks AS If The 40 per cent
shortage had already arrived All
the railroads are largely increasing
theiF train service AMI Inns Constantly |
more coal When tho S. |
PAIL ii finished 10 Seattle they viii |
require G.0GA toms per pay for railroad |
use, not 70 mention the now toms ana |
villages spriuging MP along he new
mileage The Burlington is building |
500 miles Of Extensions and The North |
srn Pacific is mountaineering large |
amount Of its line; besides the Great
Northern and the Union Pacific exten-
sions. all OF which will add largely to
the consumption Of coal for railroad
use. The great copper smelling
works, now being finished at Ely
Nevada. win alone require the total
product of seevral mines. and the i'm
mense mining activities throughout,
Nevada and Arizona must be supplied
rom some source For two years pass
lew mines have been opened For
me year past no coal lands have been
entered. the president having with
lrawn IS o00 a00 acres Of coal land
rom public entry The criminal pros
'cutions instituted by special agenets
ambitious 10 make "a record have Nc
erred operators from opening new |
mines for fear of criminal proscc ton
IS it + impossible 10 omen coal mines
II any aize ON le than 1000 or 7opo
Jeres Of coal land The doubts cast
Ipon tine title of co7l land entries 10y
ne criminal prosecutions has made
mpus ihlo toborrow the large s'jms
i money necessary to open large COIL
mines. The existing mines have an
bsolute monopoly and are getting any
rice they ask. In fact. no one has
ser questioned The price of coal: the
My complaint has been they cannot
.ot enough Ignite coal sells 10
3u.tc at $3.50 to $3.50 per ton. as
gainst good bi.umlnous coal "a 81 tn
$50 per ton ih Chicago. iPGslurc and
~ York. Coal sells i'm san Francisco
or $40 and s20 per ton. ye 40 ono
u is a strange anomaly
hat in the Northwest where. accord
ag 10 MIR Par or. the Geological OK
.ert Washington. there are 6S.000t
90 acres of coal land, people must
ay $3.50 to s15 per ton for poor lig
lite coal and yet only have q portion Z
f their wants supplied The great
emand for house consumption ha
ot yet commenced The existing a.
iinc Is csUseti hy the GREAT demau1
rom industrial plants and Tor railroad