Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-08-18
GOVERNOR HARDING SAYS IOWA
WILL REGULATE PRICES OF
COAL MINED IN IOWA.
NOT LIMITED IN POWER
As Is GOVERNMENT
Resent Conference Asrsss Coal, Steel
and lrsn Darens Ar Robbins People
-pessibls to Produce Sufficient Iowa
CsaI % Supply 'Entirs State.
special to rimes-Republican.


Des Moines, Aug. 1s.-Governor
Harding has returned from attending
the coal conference in Chicago, in
which three governors and representa-
tives OF eleven middle western states
participated, arm in the conviction
thak that either the government or the
stSts must cut the price Of coal. The
state has plenty Of authority and will
act IL the government fails to do so.
ne declares.
1T was the profound Judgment Of
the men attending this conference that
the coal, steel and iron producers are
robbing the people beyond the power
of endurance ana the government
must act" declared the governor.
And it was their further opinion
that unless the government acts at
once the states should and would in
terfere. The state Is not limited in its
Pswer to act as is the government in
fixing prices. a
g"Resolutions were passed, the sig
pihcance OF which was that the states
are ready and anxious to work with
the government.
The Illinois trade commission wired
governor Lowden that 1t hoped the
states would not interfere with the
matter Of fixing the price Of COAL"
British Prices Lower.
Governor Harding reported that the
price Of pig iron in the United States
Is So5 per ton and in England s29. The
81 ho ckno IN ho TInifoa SfatoS
Isl 800 per ton, while in England it Isl
5S6.
...The life Of our factories depends on
some relief from these PTices," &C.
clared the governor. st will be
physical impossibility to run our fac
tories and keep our people at work
unless the federal government very
soon takes charge of the steel and iron
situation.
fa'It has been asserted by coal oper-
ators that approximately 21,0o0,0OO
tons Of coal were used in Iowa each
year. The fact is only 4.145,S17 tons
OF coal were shipped in last year. The
railroads use 4,415,S32 tons Of Iowa
eual annually. Iowa produces enough
coal for home consumption outside Of
That used by the transportation COM
panies.
-Four coal mines run on an average
Tess than 200 days in a year. Much
~ that time they are not running at
4Ull capacity. It is possible to pro:
Muce enough in the state to supply the
ktate.
The transportation question is a
Mital one. 1t is the judgment Of the
9i1ien in Chicago that distribution
s1tould be handled by the federal gov
s2fnment 80 We would not be shipping
tcoal long distances to states which are
already producing coal.
THE question sof price regulation
comprises the fixing Of the price at
the mine, the fixing Of the price to the
ultimate conaumer and the matter Of
the proper distribution Of the COAL
The boats on the Great Lakes are not
being used in transporting coal as they
have been in former years. Wiscon-
sin, Minnesota, North Dakota anu
South Dakota are without hard coal"
Governor Arthur Capper, Of Kansas,
& and Governor Phillips, of Wisconsin,
together with Governor Harding, OF
iowa, were the three state heads at
slending the conference. There were
Representatives present from Minnesota,
North and South Dakota, Nebraska,
Missouri Kansas, Indiana, Kentucky
a and Michigan