The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-15
FUEL BOARD NAMES DR. WILLIAMS FOR i IMPORTANT TASK Negro Minister Will Visit Mines and Urge His Race to Produce Expected
 Coal Output
Statement November 2Os 1917
 nSnITR CEG

A publicity campaign urging the miner of Alabama to forego the usual Christmas holidays and take only one day, Christmas day, putting in the rest of the time at the mines to keep the maximum, output of coal, was de- cided at the meeting of the Jefferson county fuel board with Robert Jem- ison, Sr., chairman of the advisory board and the chairmen of several counties held yesterday morning in the office of the local board, SS4 Brown Marx building.
 There is little if any change in the coal situation in Birmingham and a made at local headquarters today by residents as well as retail dealers. who were unable to get coal
 J. H. Duncan. secretary of the fuel board, stated that MT. Hickman of the Hickman Coal yard at Ensley had no coal and had stated that when peo- pie coming there for coal were told they didn't have any they cried.
 Dr. A. c. Williams, pastor of the Sixteenth Street Colored Baptist church, has been appointed chairman of a committee by the fuel board at the request of the national fuel ad- ministration to present the situation to the colored people in this ely and district and urge them to help in this work.
 NEGROES WILL RESPOND
 sMy people realize that they have evrnS ..., the greatest day of opportu- nifty and that the exercising of their powers to seize that opportunity is most important to them at his time," was a statement made before the state local fuel administration commission by pr. Williams yesterday morning. He gave the government authorities the assurance that as the negro has done in all other things he will fully prove his patriotism at this time and that no energy will be lost from the suppying of coal and the conservation of the same by the negro miners and civilians of Birmingham and the state He assured the committee that he and the other colored men whom he had been authorized to appoint would spare no pains in bringing before the miners the fact that they must do their part in helping to win the war for democracy.
 T expect to make tour immedf- stefy, embracing all of the important points in the mining district. where I will urge the members of my race to do their utmost to increase the out put of coal" said pr. Williams Fri day.
 pr. Williams has appointed his com- mittee, of which he is chairman, which will work with him in this matter, as follows: pr. Eugene Mason. Attorney E. l.. Brown. w. w. Green. J. o. Diff fay, Rev. w. L. Boyd. T. D. Davis, o. w. Adams B. l.. Greer. R. A. Block and the Rev. c. J. Baker.
 The following county chairmen ot adjoining fuel boards were present at the meeting yesterday: Bibb county. H. H. Jones. Centreville; Walker coun- ty, P. P. Grove, Carbon Hill; St, Clair county. Sumter Cogswell, PeH City; Shelby county. F. s. Layman. Monte- vallo; Tuscaloosa county, J, H. Fitts. Tuscaloosa.
 All members of the fuel committee were present, as follows: Frank B. Fowlkes, chairman; J. Fl. Duncan, sec- reary: D. L. Brown. T. H. Lathrop, Lee Moody, E. H. Cabinass, Sol Ca- heen and w. Fl. Hassinger.