Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1917-12-21
Ufsv i : ! i IUAL
over u. S. HEAD
Gov. Cox Orders Special Trains
to Move Thousands of
Tons Held Up.
SENT TO NEEDY DISTRICTS
Follows Refusal of State Admins ra'
tor to Sanction Seizure Of Lake
Fuel Standing OH Tracks-Is
Sent to the Counties.

Columbus, O.-Governor Cox went
over the heads OF federal fuel admin
istration officials and has taken the
coal shortage problem in his own
hands. The first move was to order
solid trainicads OF coal assembled and
sent Immediately to points in the
state most seriously in need of fuel.
The order is directly contrary to in
structions of F. c.. Baird, federal fuel
administrator in charge OF the lakes.
coal pool, Cleveland, VINO refused by
.org distance telephone to sanction
such action. =
Governor Cox branded the agitation
for coal for the northwest while Ohio
literally was being starved TO death,
Us an unspeakable outrage, asserting
that he has discovered it was a move
to enable coal operators to get price,
higher than those fixed by President
Wilson Under the fuel control law.
The Ohio executives order follow
ed his appeal directly to President
W&.@on, in which lie asked the Presi-
de@t to sanction al order to permit
Ohio consumers to take over thou
sands of cars of coal consigned to Lake
points which have been standing OF
,sidjngs for days while families living
within sight o. it have Leen on the
verge OF freezing.
In statement Governor Cox SAT-
he will bring it at once to the att@r
ton Of President Wilson. He said Dr.
Il A. Garfield, federal fuel admins.
tra tor, should be called upon to ex,
pain why he placed F. c. Baird al
the head of the lake shipping pool.
Governor Cox disclosed that when
he called on Mr.. Baird for the re-
lease of lake coal now idle on siding:
Baird not only wanted the state tc
stand responsible for payment to the
operators, but stipulated the price to
be paid must be the higher contract
prices which it would have brought
if delivered to the Northwest.
1t was pointed out by Governor
Cox that when the fuel law went into
effect and the Ohio fuel administra-
ton was established Mr.. Baird and
not Homer Johnson became coal die
tator of Ohio, with the result that
the entire output c. Ohio mines Wen
to the Northwest at better price:
than permitted for Ohio deliveries.
The Northwest had a season con-
tract for coal, and it was pointed ou'
that the fuel control bill permitted
previous contracts at higher prices tc
stand.
After several days Of appeals to
Washington coal was moving IN Ohio
without the aid Of the federal fuoi
administration and against the pro
test of Mr.. Baird. 1t was said Gov
error Cox took action which amount
ed practically to confiscation.
Distribution of the coal was begun
through the county fuel administra-
ton committees under the direction
of c. F. Mayer, executive secretary
Of the state fuel administrator, ana
under plans dictated by Governor
Cox:
Ohio railroads Joined in with Gov
ernor Cox and consented to move the
coal as directed by him through j. 8.
Dugan, chief inspector of the State
Public Utilities Commission.
The changed attitude of the fuel
administration representatives will
work out practically complete dis
tribution of all lakes coal, it was be-
lieycd, which means that no less than
5000 cars in Ohio and more than
10000 cars held. in Kentucky, near
Cincinnati, will be moving to con-
sumers.