Meade County news., 1917-11-08
CLAIM THEY CAN'T GET COAL
Are Being Turned Down-The
Outlook Is Gloomy.

Evidences that Kansas coal dealers
are trying in vain to secure ship
ments of commercial coal, and that
their orders are being turned down by
operators, are pouring into the office
of Emerson Carey, state fuel admins
traitor, in the form of letters, tele-
grams and telephone calls. Unless the
situation is changed Kansas towns
will find themselves without coal and
unable to procure any kind this win
ter, Mr.. Carey believes.
Take the output of the mines at 100
per cent, and few of them are run
ming even half time now, due to car
shortage and trouble with the miners.
OF this 100 per cent possible, accord
ing to Mr.. Carey, at least 60 per cent
is taken by the railroads. If they do
not get it on orders, they confiscate
the cars after they have been shipped
from the mines.
After this 60 per cent Is taken out 1t
leaves only 40 per cent and out Of
that amount the government needs
must be met next. All the postoffice
buildings and various other govern
ment establishments, must be fur
nished coal, ard then come the mu-
nicipal plants, such as city buildings,
electric light plants, waterworks and
other plants.
The coal dealer, who in turn sup
plies the ultimate consumer, gets his
coal only after it has run ire gaunt-
let of the railroads, government and
municipal plaLts, and with the short
output of the fields today there is lit
tie reaching the yards. The shortage
will be very acute On the occasion of
the first real cold spell, in the opinion
of Mr. Carey.
To Train Red Cross Nurses.-A
course in field hospital works is to be
given at Fort Riley to several hundred
Red Cross nurses, it was announced
the other day. A number Of the nurses
have arrived at the post.
X X X
Kansas Librarians EIect.-The Kan
sas Library Association held its an
nual session at the Emporia Public Ii
brary recently. The following Off
GERS were elected for next year: Ju-
lius Lucht, Wichita, president; Miss
Mildred Berrier, Emporia, first vice.
president; Miss Virginia Edwards,
Lawrence, second vice-president; Miss
Carrie Parks, Hutchinson, third vice.
president Truman r. Temple, Leav-
enworth, secretary; Miss Lulu Price,
Hays. treasurer; Mrs. Theresa Ran
dolph, Pittsburg, member at large
The next annual meeting will be held
at Pittsburg.
X X X
A Big Kansas Prairie Fire.-Fire
that spread over hundreds Of acres Of
prairie and farm land destroyed two
hundred tons Of hay belonging to Will
liams Brothers and fifty tons Of hay
belonging to Karl Wolf, southwest Of
Bentley. The fire was famed by a
high wind and the dry grass permit
ted 1t to gain great headway before
hundreds of farmers, called by tele-
phone, rushed to the scene with wet
sacks and coats, milk cans and buck
cts filled with water.
X X X
Coal Expert for kansas.-Emerson
Carey, state fuel administration, has
received word from Washington that
an investigator familiar with coal
prices and dealers has been assigned
to him to help in the investigation be-
ing made into retail coal prices over
the state.
X X X
Train Killed SaIesman.-John M.
Marshall, about co years old, sales
man OF Winfield, was run over and
killed by a Missouri, Kansas C Texas
freight train, ten miles southeast Of
Columbus recently.