The Washington herald., 1917-12-31
M'ADO0 PLANS
TO STOP COAL
LACK AT ONCE
Orders Immediate Ship.
ments of Fuel to Suf-
ferers in North.

William G. McAdoo, Director
General Of Railroads, took immedi-
ate action yesterday for the relief
OF the country from the coal
shortage. He gave particular at
tention to the New England States.
is critical and unless relieved at
once would cause intense suffering.
Mr.. McAdoo called a conference
with his chief advisers, and talked
the crisis over with them, be said
the whole northeastern section
must be pooled, and all available
syAtems used to get coal to New
England at once. Water and rail
are to be employed in every possi-
BILE way to aid the suffering sec
tion.
Those at Conference.
Those at the conference were:
Alfred H. Smith, of the New York
Central, and just named as assistant
to the Director General in charge Of
transportation; Walker D. Hines.
also assistant TO the Director Cen
eral: Howard Elliott, OF the New
Haven, and practical man OF the
Railways War Board: Harry A. Gar
field, Fuel Administrator: Judge Ed
ward Chambers, vice president Of the
Santa Fe Railroad and in charge of
transportation Of the Fuel Admins
tration. and G. W. Anderson. of the
Interstate Commerce Commission.
On account of the intense cold wave
that has swept the whole northeast
ern section of the county, Director
TAA -
appeals for help from this section of
the country In the matter OF coal.
Some Of the large utility corporations
are practically without enough to run
them for two days more; the people
are in great need, and numerous cases
Of suffering have been reported.
Steps have been taken to move coal
from Newport and other ports by
water. Priority orders. Interstate
Commerce Commission rulings and
other considerations will be put aside
TO rush coal to the danger zone. Mr..
Smith. Judge Chambers and Mr.. FL
lott will have maps for through rout-
ing ready for the Director General
the first thing this morning.
+ - HAassesr UastrsuAs.----
The Federal Trade Commission,
taking both the bituminous and an
thracite situations into consideration.
made this comment:
THE present production OF bitumi-
nous coal the country over is about
30 per cent short Of the possible max
imum. and this Limitation is solely to
be charged, as to primary cause, to
faulty rail transportation. The pres
ent demand for coal is unprecedent-
ed. but the mines now open are cap
able Of filling this demand IL adequate
car supply is furnished.
1T is a fact in the bituminous in
dustry that the capacity Of a mine
for production and the capacity for
labor is limited absolutely by the sup
ply from day to day of coal cars for
the moving of the product. Thus we
have found that, with the market
at unheard-of prices, labor is often
standing idle at the mines and pro-
duction Is limited, as compared with
the possible productive capacity. We
lind that mine labor is being disor-
$anized by reason of irregular em-
ployment and forced idleness, and
that in some fields bituminous mines
are working only three or four days
a week and that willing labor and
willing operators are standing idle
half OF the time.
I'm other fields where there is now
a more nearly adequate car supply
the irregularity OF car supply in
CONTINUED ON PAGE SEVEN.