New Britain herald., 1917-10-25
Will send COAL
TO NEEDY STATES
Ohio and Michigan Will Get Their
Entire Output Monday

Washington, Oct. 25.-The entire
| output Of coal in the Ohio, Western
Pennsylvania, and Michigan districts
next Monday will be requisitioned by
the United States government and
distributed for domestic consumption
in sections Of Ohio and Michigan,
where there has been a severe short
age. Large deliveries will not be per-
mitted and retailers will be requested
to put in orders only for amounts ac-
tually necessary. They must prom,
Use. also. before receiving any part of
the requisitioned coal, to deliver it in
one-ton consignments to families
which have no coal.
The Lever food control law gives
! the Fuel Administrator absolute pow
ers bv the exercise of which he may
take over output, or even the miles,
| if crisis is faced. The step which
DR.. Garfield oontemplates next Mon
day will be in the nature of an ex-
pertinent. If It proves successful the
same program will be applied to other
districts, such as New York, If a coal
famine is threatened
All Of the coal in the Ohio, Western
Pennsylvania, and Michigan fields on
! Monday will be distributed among do
| nestle consumers, regardless of con-
tracts which may have been entered
| into for delivery to other points. These
contracts will be filled later, when
the acute condition is ended. Opera
tors also will be directed to supply
retailers whether contomers in the
past or not, and retailers must sell
only to persons who have no stock Of
coal on hand.
DIR. Garfield said he would assure
all localities that they would receive
coal to meet their needs, and that
each section would be considered in
the light Of the special circumstances
affecting it. He said the entire car
supply available would be employed
to move the coal to the Ohio and
Michigan consumers on the day set
aside.
Homer Johnson, the Ohio fuel adj
ministrator, sent kilograms last night
to local committees in his state in
structing them to have the retail deal
ers put in their orders at once to
their usual source of supply or to the
nearest coal field. They must order
only what they can deliver rapidly
in one-ton loads. The operators also
were Informed of the governments in
tention to take over their output for
one day and they were asked to facil1-
tate deliveries.
Mr.. johnson met DR.. Garfield at the
recent conference of operators in
Pittsburgh and proposed the plan. DR..
Garfield, who already had decided to
requisition 10 per cent. of the coal
output of the country, agreed.
Under a definite allotment OF Amer
lean coal for trade, announced tonight
by the fuel administration, about g.
100000 tons of bituminous or anthra-
cite will be permitted to move across
the Canadian border during the next
two months The allotments, which
will materially reduce the volume of
exports, were arranged in consulta-
ton with the Canadian authorities
and after a review of statistics show
ing the Doninion's fuel consumption
, during the last year and future needs
of it's industries and domestic con-
sumers.
1t was announced that administra-
tor Garfield had insisted that Canada
be treated as we'll as the union in the
matter Of coal, but no better, and that
the Canadian government recognized
, that the United States was warranted
in taking the present steps to protect
the interests of it's consumers.