The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1917-11-23
THE FUEL SITUATION

GOODING, Idaho.-Fuel Admins
traitor F. R. Gooding, who was in
northern Idaho during the greater
portion of last week, where he held
meetings with the coal dealers and
administrators in the three north
ern districts, reports that these meet
ings resulted in much better I'M
derstanding of the situation by both
himself and the coal dealers who
were present at the meetings. Mr.
Gooding at these meetings secured
fairly accurate and complete esti-
mates of the fuel needs of the north
ern Idaho counties.
Only portion ofthe coal used
in these counties comes from the
Utah and Wyoming mines-most Of
| it being from Wyoming fields. About
one-third of the coal used is from
the Roslyn mines of Washington
and from mines in Montana and
British Columbia. However, it is
probable that at least a third of all
the fuel used in the north is from
the forests. In one county so far
as can be learned, but two coal deal
ers are in business, and their bust
ness is strictly limited. This is in
Benewah county. The same thing is
true to some extent in Boundary,
Bonner, Kootenai and Latah coun-
ties, and to a smaller degree in
Shoshone, Clearwater and Idaho
counties
Mr.. Gooding after closing his
series Of meetings with northern
coal dealers, left for Salt Lake.
where he has been in conference for
several days with w. w. Armstrong,
fuel administrator for Utah. The
two administrators have been placed
in active charge of the distribution
of 10 per cent of the coal produced
in the mines Of Utah and Wyoming,
to satisfy fuel emergencies in the
states Of Utah, Idaho, Oregon, Wash
ington, California and Nevada. This
has been taken to mean that where
need of fuel, is urgent at any point
in any of these six states, these
gentlemen will have the right to
take and send coal from any of the
mines in the districts mentioned to
satisfy this emergency. This order
has just been issued by Federal Fuel
Administrator Garfield, and the dis
trict of six states mentioned, is the
only portion of the United States
which has been so favored
Reports from local fuel admins
traitors from all portions of the state
indicate willing observance of tenn
porary order No. /, which was issued
by the state fuel administration, as
of effect November l., and which
fixed the gross margin to be charged
by dealers at $125 ton at the bin.
and So a ton where delivery was
made, by all dealers except the
agents of the Lion Coal company of
Ogden. Utah, who own and operate
mines in Wyoming, and conduct sew
eral coal yards at points in south
ern Idaho. This company, it has de-
,veloped, has instructed its agents
thruout southern Idaho not to pay
any attention to the orders of the
fuel administration of this state, and
has established price for coal much
in excess of that allowed under the
order mentioned.
This fact having been reported to
Mr.. Gooding, the matter was refer
red to the federal fuel administrator,
Mr.. Garfield, and by him taken up
with the department of justice,
which has instructed the United
States district attorney for this state
to take action to compel compliance
with the orders of the state fuel ad-
ministrator.
What was regarded as decidedly
knotty question by the retail coal
dealers Of the state, has just been