Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1917-08-14
THE STATE HAS
POWER TO TAKE
OVER COAL Mines
Harding and Defense Council Now
at Work Studying Fuel
Situation in State.
THE PRICES VARY GREATLY
Constitution Gives State Full Au-
thority to Act Drastically
if Necessary.


Des Moines, Aug. 13.-With Gov
ernor Harding and the state council
of defense actively engaged in {
study of the Iowa coal supply prob
/. lens, definite action may be expect.
ed within the next two weeks to in.
sure the state supply of fuel dur.
ing the coming winter at reason.
able price.
The state is vested with ample
powers is act aggressively in the
coal situation if necessary.
Section Is of the constitution is
far broader than the sections of the
Illinois state constitution under
which the Illinois defense council
threatened to commander every
mine in the state.
The iowa constitution reads:
Private property shall not be
taken for public use without just
compensation first being made, or
secured To be made, to the owner
thereof, as soon as the damages
shall be assessed by jury who shall
not take into consideration any adj
vantages that may result to said
owner on account of the improve
ment for which it is taken"
1t is probable that under this Sec
tion Governor Harding could declare
a public emergency and take over
the operation of every coal mine in
the, state.
Governor Lowden of Illinois de-
clared that if necessary he would
take action of this kind, but within
a few days coal operators agreed to
abide by prices fixed by Judge of
the Supreme court, who will deter
mine fair profit for operators and
retailers.
The governor of Indiana has an
nounced that he will call special
session if necessary to assure a coal
supply this winter, and the federal
trade commission will soon make a
survey of conditions in the middle
west with a view toward adopting
government regulations.
The Iowa state council of defense
has been active on the coal question
for more than a month. Figures
recently compiled show remarka-
BILE range in prices in differers
parts of the state. Iowa coal, selling
at the mines at SO per ton, is worth
as much as IS per ton in outlying
sections of the state away from the
coal belt.
In many instances Iowa coal,
mined at cost of less than 50 per
ton, trebles in price with only a
short freight haul.
Already coal shortage is begin
ming to appear in some counties. In
O'Brien county, according to the
county defense council, soft coal sells
at $1,000 per ton, and hard coal is
quoted at $14 and is almost impos-
sible to obtain in quantities.
In Adams county Iowa coal is
quoted at 81 at the mines and 81
on the track.
Centerville coal, which sells for
SO at the mine at Centerville, sells
for $3.50 per ton at Mt. Ayr, $50
miles away. In Lyon county, in the
extreme northwestern corner of the
state, soft coal lis quoted from IS
to $12. In many counties of the
state the better grades of soft coal
are now selling at from $40 to s11,
the price at which anthracite was
procurable less than two years ago.
Iowa Land Sales.
Logan: John Brown purchased
the Paul Lovel 80, mile east of
Logan, at 1925 an acre, possession
to be given the coming March.
Algona: Through Geo. Gray of
Eagle Grove, acting as agent, Henry
Arend of Rich Point has sold his
quarter-section farm where the
buildings stand. An Eagle Grove
man was the buyer, and the price
was SITS per acre. Mr.. Arend re-
tains the 80 acres which he owns
.elst south of this quarter.
$ Denison: j. H. Kral, a well known
farmer from the vicinity of Vail,
purchased $50 acre farm about
l q
4nvUA GTATE FAIR