South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-12-14
Ohio COAL HEAD
ANSWERS GOV. COX
Says Iron Ore Deliveries for
u. S. Come Before
Fuel.

IRONTON. o., Dec. 14-At Rus
for the next 10 days facilitating the
movement Of coal. f. c. Baird rep
resentiug Fuel Administrator Gar
held Thursday gave out the fol
lowing signed statement:
While the statement made by
Gov. James III. Cox. as Of itself, is
not entitled 10 an answer, as mat
ter of general interest / believe the
public is entitled TO know the fun
damental facts which have not been
disclosed by Gov. Cox.
Iron Deliveries First.
1T was determined I'm early part
of this year that with approximate
is 65,000,00O tons OF iron ore to be
moved from Lake Superior docks
10 Lake Erie ports for transporta-
ton 20 all iron and steel furnaces,
ard that opposed 20 that, there had
been purchased by the consumers
Of the northwest served through
Lake Michigan and Lake Superior
ports. i'm round figures 100000
tons of bituminous coal consumed
28,O0O,O00 tons in 1870 TO be NOV
co by vessel from Lake Erie ports,
and with the railroad staggering I'M
der a load of approximately so per
cent over their capacity, under nor
NAL operating conditions, it would
be impossible to move the iron ore
and coal traffic to and from Lake
Erie ports without some drastic eff
fort on their part 70 increase the
efficiency Of their inadequate plant.
Without lake coal unloading at Lake
Erie ports there would have been
insufficient cars 10 have moved the
iron ore the United States govern
ment requires for continuous op-
Grafton of all steel producing plants;
therefore. the first consideration
was 10 determine how delivery OF
the iron ore could be insured.
Agree TO Pool Coal at Lake.
AT the request Of the federal
authorities the executives of the
transportation interests met with
bituminous coal producers. At this
meeting it was decided that the coal
producers would pool their coal at
Lake Erie ports in order TO expedite
delivery by boat and meet the re-
quirements of the northwest until
the opening Of navigation next year.
"The coal production for 1917 has
increased Approximately . per cent
over 1915. and the northwest re-
CeiN ed 100000 tons less than was
consumed i'm the year 1916; there
fore they have not participated in
the increased production to any eX-
tent whatsoever.
81 was selected by the railroads
to represent them in expediting the
movement of this coal. i moved
during the five months of this ar
rangement a much larger quantity
Of coal than was moved in the same
months of 1916, utilizing but 60 per
cent of the railroad equipment with
a result that the remaining 40 per
cent was used i'm local Ohio, and
Michigan trade.
In answer to anything that Gov.
Cox might have said with reference
10 myself would state that on June
I. 1917. I left a lifelong position and
devoted my entire time 10 this work
which was directed 20 an improve
ment I'm transportation that would
best serve the railroad, coal con-
SINNERS and producers, and general
public interests and 1 am not even
a dollar a year man, being animal
ed by but one motive mad that is to
do the greatest possible good TO the
general public, doing my bit in this
manner.
"As to Ohio, I am working closely
with state Fuel Administrator Fl. II
Johnson. and directing every posi-
BILE effort toward assisting him 10 af-
ford immediate relief Of coal desti-
tuition wherever the same may exist
in that state"