The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1918-05-01
Falling OF Of Nine Production Since April
Threatens Recurrence Of COndi-
tiOns Like Last Winter
CAR SHORTAGE is
ONE REASON GIVEN
Workers al Mines Compelled to Lay OF;
Are Not Satisfied; Garfield Advises
Order Early

Ada, Okla, May Goal condi-
tions throughout the country are
anything but satisfactory, according
to the information given out today
from the office of P. A. Norris, feder.
al fuel administrator for Oklahoma.
The shortage OF shipping facilities
is causing shortage Of production
and disturbed labor condition.
Grayely concerned over the seri-
Gus falling off i'll coal production
since the beginning of the coal year.
April /, which falling off seems to
threaten a recurrence of the coAdi-
tions that impelled "Heatless Days"
last winter, the United States fuel
administrator, Harry a. Garfield,
has issued statement showing very
clearly that while a small part of
this loss was due to failure of mine
labor, the greater part was due to
the continued lack OF transportation
service and shortage of cars plac-
ed at the mines to be loaded. This
is due to the general pressure of
war traffic ON the railroads.
Throughout the entire country the
average loss is production, due to
car shortage, for the week ending
March 80, was 23,3 per cent. In the
fields of Indiana, Illinois and Ohio
the loss was 22.6 per cent; the loss
In the Ohio field alone being 342i
per cent. The loss in Pennsylvania
fields averaged 324 per cent. 1t was
24.4 per cent in the New River and
Winding Gulf and Pocahontas fields
and in the high volatile fields OK
Southern West Virginia and the
Fairmont fields the shortage was
5O.3 per cent. The shortage in the
Fairmont fields alone was SOL per
cent.
In view of facts such as these DR.
Garfield has pointed out that such
car shortages have kept mine labor
idle for days at a. time; in some
fields it has cut down The working
time to one or two days week. Tn.
der these conditions the miners, un.
able to support themselves and their
families, have been tempted away
into the more steady employment of
fered by the war industries. DR.
Garfield says:
Reports to the fuel administration
give evidence Of unrest and dissat-
isfaction among the mine workers
who throughout the past year have
given patriotic service, even when
it meant personal service.F J
Much of the car shortage has been
caused by the unsettled situation re-
garding contracts for railroad fuel.
In conclusion Fuel Administrator
Garfield says
'The fuel administration will un
dertake to see that the preferred
classes included in Preference List
No. 1. of the Priority Committee of
the War Industries Board, are the
first to receive their supply of the
limited supply This priorities list
includes domestic consumers of coal
patriotic cooperation by the do
nestle users Of the country in the
effort of the fuel administration to
secure the early ordering of next
winters domestic coal supply has
filled up many of the retail dealers
of the country with orders which
cannot be delivered for weeks or
possibly months. These consumers
will be given their proper prefer
ence, however, aud their coal will be
delivered just as rapidly as the rail
roads can move it. The uncertain
state of the supply makes it impera-
tive that every domestic consumer
should have his order in the hands
Of his dealer at the earliest possible
moment"