The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1917-10-26

ask increases in freight rates on spe-
cific commodities when hearings be-
fore the State Railroad and Ware
house commission are resumed Octo-
Der 81 on the original petition for a
horizontal advance of Is per cent in
rates on all classes, commission Off
Gals said late yesterday. The pre-
diction followed an announcement in
Washington that eastern railroads are
preparing to place before the Inter-
state Commerce commission program
to provide general relief from their
financial difficulties.
X X r
Shortage Is in Cars, NOT Coal.
J. F. MCGEE, fuel administrator for
Minnesota, last night charged the pres
emit threatened coal shortage in this
state more to lack of railway cars
than to lack of COAL He also urged
that the greatest conservation be OBJ
served in use of coal until some means
may have been found to rectify pres
ent conditions, adding that only such
action can prevent a disastrous short
age later
Many appeals for coal, particularly
hard coal,' he said, "have come to
me from all parts Of the state and
even some from North Dakota, in the
past week.
These conditions are not due par.
ticularly to lack of coal but to a
very great car shortage which exists
at the present. The War Transporta-
ton board at Washington has an
nounced that the utmost we can ex-
pect, for some time at least, is go
per cent car service-that is, we will
have only six cars where in normal
times we had 10.
There must be remedy for this
condition and every possible means of
increasing the car supply must be re-
sorted to. ALI cars ought to be un-
loaded the earliest possible moment
after they reach their destination and
then be released for further service,
instead of being used for warehouse
or storage purposes. The Northern
Pacific has lost 100 cars day for
the last 20 days. By this l mean a
net loss, which means that road has
1000 less available cars today than it
had 20 days ago. Many of these cars
were loaded with potatoes at Mime
sofa points and consigned to Chicago
and other Eastern destinations and
were not returned when unloaded. The
Chicago & Northwestern road has suf-
fered net loss of 1900 cars in the
same period Of time
X X r.
Draft Boards Sole Judges.
District draft boards are the sole
judges of both law and fact in each
particular case that comes before them,
in the opinion Of the Second district
board for Minnesota, and are not amen
able in their decisions to opinions on
legal questions from governors, state
attorneys general and adjutants gen.
eral.
This position is affirmed by the dis
trict board here in its action revers-
ing the discharge decision of the
Thirteenth ward local board in the
case of Clifford G. Schultz, secretary
of the State Securities commission,
and holding him for service.
In its action the district board over
rides opinions by Governor Burnquist,
Attorney General Smith and Adjutant
General Rhinow. All held that Mr..
Schultz was proper subject for ex-
emption under the provisions of the
selective service act and the rules and
regulations pertaining to it.
4 4 r
Capitol Postmaster Resigns.
c. E. Olmstead of Minneapolis
has resigned as postmaster at the
state capitol, position he has filled
for eight years. The resignation is
effective November 1 and has yet to
be accepted by Governor Burnquist,
who will name new postmaster at
the building. Mr.. Olmstead, who is
Civil war veteran and 70 years old,
was obliged to resign because of his
age and the condition of his health.
X X 4
Receipts Exceed Expenses.
Carlos Avery, commissioner, has is
sued the annual report of the state
game and fish department, showing
that receipts exceeded expenses by
more than $4,000. The revenue to-
tailed $155,482, and the disbursements
$116,871. The largest single items of
revenue were $44,937 from small game
licenses, and $43,777 from inland fish
ing permits for the taking of rough
fish.
Bonds Will Pay Liquor Tax.
Liberty Loan bonds will be accepted
in place of other bonds for the pay
ment of the new floor tax on liquor
by the internal revenue department,
according to a message received by
E. j. Lynch, collector of internal rev.
enue, from headquarters in Washing
ton. The floor tax of $2.10 gallon
on liquors originallysSwas payable in
thirty days, but on account of the diff
ficulty of getting inventories, liquor
dealers were allowed seven months to
pay the tax, on condition they put up
a sufficient bond.
X 4 X sy
Removal of Draft Examiner Asked.
Removal of DIR. H. L. Araz as assist
ant medical examiner was requested
by the Jackson county draft board in
a telegram received at the Office of
Governor Burnquist. The message,
signed by P. D. Mcclellan, clerk of the
board, gave no reasons for the request.
The matter was referred to the draft
department for investigation. Draft
officials at the capitol said no reports
of friction in the jackson county
board had been received and they
we're unable to offer anS EXPLANATION