The Covington leader. (Covington, Tenn.) 18??-current, 1917-12-27
TO THE PATRIOTIC CIT
IZENS OF TENNESSEE


In the past coal has been a com
modify to be bought and sold. hoard
ed or let loose at our own sweet will:
but this great world war has changed
all this.
Coal has now become the very life
blood of our. great struggle for hui
mainly. Unless we can keep our al
lies in Europe supplied with coal to
run their railroads at the fullest
speed, SO as to quickly move their
troops, food and munitions; unless we
Z lrnish coal to keep our own food
plies moving to Europe and to
- Aour own munition plants run
ning at full capacity; and unless our
railroads have coal to move our own
men, food and munitions to the front.
our just and holy war win be lost
and the Germans viii found bale
full despotism which will overshadow
the world
In this terrible struggle the man
who wastes a scuttIe of coal commits
a crime against humanity; in this
time Of great scarcity Of coal the
man who refuses to divide with an
unfortunate neighbor stands branded
as a selfish enemy to his country in
her hour Of need.
| am loving son of Tennessee; /
know my people, and | thank God
that they are my people: I know their
splendid patriotism and their spirit
of sacrifice. They have never failed
in the hour of supremest test. This
hour has come. 1t is now up to us to
show whether we have splendid
manhood, OF. whether we are selfish,
yellow-blooded weaklings.
Believing in my people, / now ask
every Tennessean who has been for
tunate enough to Law in fair supply
of coal to make diligent inquiry as
to his neighbours need. Where he
finds a neighbor who is out of coal
and unable to get it, sell this neigh
Dor a portion of his own coal at cost.
] do not ask for all of your coal
keep at least 80 bushels for your own
home. This is voul sacred duty It
is sacrifice for God and Country,
and your fellowmen will applaud,
Any Tennesssean who is out Of coal
and makes every effort to get it and
fails, will at once telephone the Fuel
Administrator in his county. This
United States Fuel Administrator Isl
hereby ordered and empowered to en-
deay0ryto get coal from some dealer
to relieve this distress. u
Should he be unable to secure it.
from a dealer. he win make INQUIRY
as to which Of his neiohbors has the
largest supply and will request him
to sell his fellowman reasonable
quantitv for cash at cost.
Should any of our poole refuse to
heed this humane request OF the Unit
ed States Fuel Administrator. this
administrator shall at once wire the
Tinted STATES Fuel administrator for
Tennessee. Senate Chamber, State
Canitol Nashville. Tennessee.
The United States Fuel Administra-
tor will Immediately wire request to
The recreant hoarder to comnlv with
The request Of, the County Admins
trator If he fails to heed this last
request his refusal will be wired to
Washington.
The penalty will be ais follows:
Whoever shall with knowledge
hat the regulations have been pre-
'cribed as herein provided, violate or
refuse to conform to any of the same. |
hall upon conviction BY punished bv
inc Of not more than five thousand
dollars, or by imprisonment for not
more than two years, or both. Each
transaction shall consti-
ute separate ofFense." H. R 1851. |
This order goes into effect Deceni-
,er IS, 1917.
1t is up to us 70 show the men who
ire offering their lives that we RAY
De free men, we are worthy of the
sacrifice. IT is up to us to show the
weak or unfortunate that this is their
country; that its shAlteriug arms are
brown tenderly and lovingly around |
hem-that it is worth fighting for
md worth dying for.
w E. MYER.
u S. Fuel Administrator for Ten
rlessee.