The Devils Lake world and inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1915-1920, 1918-02-13
CONTROL OF FUEL
Full Exposition Of Governments
Conduct of This
Work. 4
-
WORK WELL ORGANIZED
Value Of Commissions Labors Well
F, Enthusiastically on Lakes
Averted Serious Famine In
Northwest.

Northwest.
Bismarck, N. DAT present NJ ad.
mfnistrative auxiliary Of the federal
government is more In the public eye
than the national fuel administration.
It Is probable that this condition will
continue at least so long as cold
weather persists. The first pinch Of
the war was felt in the winter Of
'l916-17, when the LEGAL demand for
coal exceeded the supply, and there
resulted hardship and industrial DIFF.
daculties. With this shortage went
rapidly mounting prices. The situa,
tion became % acute that in June
1917, Congress adopted . resolution
asking the Federal Commission to in.
ivestigate the anthracite coal situa.
ton. The Trade Commission real.
lied that the anthracite coal problem
could not be considered apart from
that of bituminous coal, for the reas.
on that under conditions of increased
demand one must take the place OF
the other to a considerable extent In
industry.
The estimate Of the amount Of coal
which was needed during the year
ending June 80, 1917, as compared with
the previous year, indicating an in.
crease Of only about 10 per cent. Not.
w%ithstanding, the prices of coal, when
1t came time to make contracts in the
early summer Of 1917, had increased
for large consumers 100 to $50 Dor
cent and for small consumers by 200
10 400 per cent.
After 4 thorough investigation, the
Nederal Trade Commission June 10
made the following recommendations:
Thirst, that the production and die.
~tribution Of coal and coke be conduct.
cd through a pool in the hands Of q
government agency; that the produc-
ers of the various grades of fuel be
paid their full cost Of production, plus
. uniform profit per ton.
Second, that the transportation
agencies of the United States, both
rail and water, be similarly pooled and
operated on Government account, un-
der direction of the President, and
that all such means of transportation
be operated as q unit, the owning cor.
poration being paid a Just and fair
compensation which would cover nor.
NAL net profit, upkeep and better
ments."
Following this report, tho coal situa
ton became more and more acute, and
finally a bill giving the President
authority to exercise drastic powers
became a law August III, 1917. On
August 20, Robert 8. Lovett was made
general agent under the Priority Ship.
ment Act and given full authority to
require the roads o: the country con.
cerned in the transportation Of coal
to give coal priority In transports.
ton. BY executive orders, the Presi.
dent, upon the basis Of information
furnished him by tho Federal Trade
Commission temporarily fixed a scale
Of prices for bituminous and anthra.
cite coal.
The President did not take advan-
tage Of IN authority in the law to place
the control Of coal under the Federal
Trade Commission, but decided 10 ap.
point a fuel commissioner. DR.. Harry
A. Garfield, was appointed to this Of.
nee August %, 1917.
With this appointment began the
work of the fuel administration
which now extends to every state and
district and county and city In the
United States. What that commits
sion has accomplished is we'll known
here in the northwest, which but for
priority shipments of coal via tne
great lakes during the season of nav.
igation would pay millions more for
its fuel, if it were possible to obtain
eastern Goals at any price. Fuel ad.
ministrators in every state were
named September %, and each fed
eral fuel administrator appointed fol
his state an advisory committee and
certain local committees, which are
tho ultimate finger tips Of the fueI
administration. authorized on approval
OF the state administrator to investi
gate and remedy cases Of hardship OF
nnequity, subject to reversal or ap
peal to the United States Fuel Ad
tndnistrator. They also are to keeI
tte state administration Informed q
10 local conditions and needs and t,
lend assistance In providing relief.
The most important duty Of th,
state fuel administrators is to se'
That the supply Of fuel in their stateI
squitably distributed at fair prices
II 10 the intention Of the United state|
fuel administrator to see that Ii,
3tate administrators are provided VII
The necessary authority to divert fua
in transit whee necessity arises. fhi
authority already has been confsrre,
On State Fua Administrator /. 2
Baker and on similar oficials in othe
ttatss. The state administrators ma
Require, % has been done In Mort
Dakota, dealers to deliver only a linn
fsA supply to any n customer, IN
% require customers to give infol
mation concerning tdelr supply o
hand and their requirements. The
)nay take measures to prevent hoard
ehg. In general 1t IL desired that