Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-10-23
THIRTY PER CENT OF FUEL MER.
CHANTS WITHOUT SUPPLY
OF ANTHRACITE.
SOFT COAL ALSO SHORT
IN MANY LOCALITIES
Administrator Webster Finds Iowa
Coal Is Being Shipped to Missouri
and Missouri Coal to lowa-Says
There May Not Be Enough Coal to
Go ArounG--iowa Coal Prices May
Be Advanced.
Special to Times Republican.

Des Mojnes. oct. 23.-Thrty per cent
of the coal dealers in Iowa are now
without hard coal and soft coal is also
scarce and hard 10 get in many local.
ties. Th.r : the word brought back 10
Des Moines today by Charles Webster,
state fuel administrator for Iowa, on
his return from trip out over the
state.
Coal is scarce and becoming more
So" he said. 1t Is a part of my duty
TO get coal 70 communities where there
is danger OF a shortage but there may
not be enough coal to go around"
Administrator Webster reports that
ne finds Iowa coal is being shipped
down into Missouri and Missouri coal
shipped into Iowa He considers this
an unnecessary condition brought
about largely because some Iowa mines
have always found part Of their mar
keI in Missouri and are still supplying
their trade down there. However, il
is somewhat unusual for Missouri coal
to be shipped into Iowa.
The state fuel administrator has an
nounced the following state advisory
committee 20 act with the admin
istrator: ". F. Muse. editor. Mason
city: James F. Toy, banker Sioux
City; F. A. Garfield president Iowa
State Federation Of Labor. Cedar Rap
ids; Jack Hughes. insurance. Council
Bluffs: Fred Holburt farmer and horse
breeder. Greeley; Charles Clark, editor,
Des Moines. A g. Johnson. Of Du-
buQue. lumbernan al coal dealer, has
been named as an advisor 10 the adj
yisory committee.
The committee as named = non
partisan and about equally divided IN
politics.
4 meeting Of this committee is TO be
held at the state house Wednesday
when the future work will he gone over,
Local committees have now been
named IN all Of the larger cities and
also the counties Of the state.
Iowa Coal May Go Higher.
A revision Of the Iowa Goa! price up:
ward seems probable and il !s also
probable that the miners request for
an increase Of 10 cents per ton in Iowa
viii also be granted.
Godfrey N. s. TAFT, member OF the
federal trade commission and personal
investigator for Dr.. Garfield federal
fuel commissioner, after an investiga-
ton IN Iowa has declared that in his
Judgment miners should receive their
increase Of 10 cents per ton. If this
increase is granted the operators viii
probably raise their price as much as
IS cents par ton which may bring Iowa
coal up 70 IS per ton.
IN fact recommendations made by
Mr.. TAFT 70 the government will Ak
the minimum price somewhere between
s5 10 $3.50 per ton and Il the wage
boost Is granted the price IS expected to
go 70 sc.
Federal Investigator TAFT declares
that the nation Is On the verge o. a
widespread coal famine. The coal
shortage Is becoming acute now that
the weather turnout the country is
such az to require fires in so many
households.
The people themselves are. TO blame
for the coal shortage" he says ''They
should have had their cellars filed by
this time. The greatest trouble I find
IN Des Moines is that the people do
not have confidence in their coal
dealers"