Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-14
HICKOk TRIES
TO GET SHIPMENT
OF COAL HERE
Steps Are Taken to Aid Suf-
fering Among Poor
Families
KEIS TER TO ASSIS I
Retail Dealers to Meet With
Fuel Administrator and
the Mayor

Following a visit by representatives
of the Gates and Dare Coal Com
panies, Mayor Daniel Keister said to-
day that he would endeavor to have
Fuel Administrator Hickok meet the
retail coal dealers of the city in the
very near future in order that some
understanding might be reached.
The retailers represented that their
yards are bare, that people are clam
oring for coal, that since the ap-
pointment of a fuel administrator lit
tie coal has reached Harrisburg, and
that they did not believe the admin
istrator fully understands the seri-
BUSINESS of the situation.
Mayor Keister replied that as he
was new to the office and had been
occupied in getting acquainted with
routine he was not familiar with the
fuel situation in the city and did not
realize that the supply was so short.
He said he would see what he could
do to procure more coal and made an
appointment with Mr.. Hickok this
afternoon. He said he hoped to ar
range for meeting between the re-
tailers and the administrator so that
full discussion of the situation from
both points of view might be had.
This may be arranged for to-mor-
row, it is said.
When Mr. Hickok was seen this
morning in regard to the effort local
coal dealers made yesterday to re-
quest the Mayor to force the hand of
the coal commission, for the purpose
| of supplying the coal needs of the
city, he stated emphatically that he
| cannot order operators to ship any
F.! coal to any dealer or any consumer.
Mr.. Hickok said that the only thing
he can do is advise the Philadelphia
commission to request the operator
| to furnish the coal. Mr.. Hickok says
his commission has no executive pow
| ers whatever. but is only an informa-
| tive body. The coal administrator
says he wired all day yesterday in
an effort to get shipments of coal to
the city. and is doing all in his power
to relieve the situation here. He says
| the coal situation in Harrisburg is
bad, but insists it is better than
| nearly every other city in the state,
owing to the supply of river coal.
The industries are nearly all well
supplied, but some of the dealers are
| not, he said. He said there has been
no coal in Marysville for three weeks.
"A record of the coal used by every
district is kept at Philadelphia" Mr..
Hickok said. And l have been in
formed that Harrisburg has received
more than her share. When a dealer
orders coal. I inform the state ad-
ministrator of that fact. and if the
need is great, ask him to recommend
to the operator to supply it, Even
| the state administrator cannot force
the operator to ship coal. The deal
ers here do not seem to realize that
every city in the state is situated as
badly or worse than Harrisburg.
II think the manufacturing plants,
and the people with money, are well
supplied with coal. 1t is the people
| in the poor sections whom 1 fear for,
and if l find any danger of freezing
! among them, on my own RESPONSE
| bility 1 will take steps to supply
them. 1 am going to find out the ac-
tual situation among the poor, and
take immediate steps to relieve them.
Another thing l want to empha-
size is that have absolutely no juris-
diction over matters arising between
dealers and consumers. Frequently
physicians and charitable organiza-
tions send me their patrons with slips
certifying that they are in danger of
hardship because of lack of coal. In
such a case l can do absolutely moth
ing, and they know they are simply
passing the buck. L wish to em-
phasize this fact"