New-York tribune., 1918-07-07

1eur states get no anthracite Mt all.
virginia, Ohio and Indiana ret onlv al
per cent of what they formerly had.
Illinois only 40 per cent and the North
western lake states about the same ma
formerly.
Mines Have Set Goal
Establishing zones inevitably re-
suited In coal budget. To saw that
certain mines were to supply certain
section was to say that they must meet
the coal requirements of that section
winch again entailed n determination
OF the needs of that district for the
coal year. This gave the mines a den-
mite goal and measure Of daily pro
duction.
summing up regional requirements
gave the necessary national appronr,a-
ton of coal The fuel administration
then drew a production check for that
amount on the combined coal banks of
the country and warned them that thew
would dishonor it at their peril. though
IL was plainly an overdraft. To meet
THIS overdraft some Of the sixteen re-
g1onal sources were called upon to add
"a per cent to their 1917 production.
ana none got off without some increase.
Needs Accurately Known
The new plan went into effect on
April l, which is the beginning of the
coal trade year. when old contracts or.
dinarily expire and new ones are made
since that day the fuel administration
knows precisely where it stands from
day to day.
The minimum requirements of the
country were found to be $4,000 600
net tons of bitumnous coal and soma.
thing over 1oo,oOO,O0O tons Of anthra-
cite. Call the total 750, 100000 tons and
you have the coal job in concrete form
The bituminous mines must turn ont
more than 12,000,0O0 tons week and
the anthracite about 100000 tons to
meet the situation.
production now becomes an attemot
to beat all records, with a pacemaker
to help. So far the pace has been too
much for the producers. In the first
four months of the calendar year thew
Tell 100000 tons behind. Now thew
are crowding the pacemaker and gain
ing a little. Later on they will doubt
less begin to lag again
Many Loud Protests
We need 1oo,oOo,ooo tons more of
coal than last year. Probably we shall
get only 50,0o0,Ooo. Against this deficit
we have only better quality of coal,
conservation and then-re OF
them, more later.
Sensible and simple as the zone sys-
tenn is, loud and raucous voices of
wrath and protest arose in all sections
Of the country. 1t is the good fortune
of the food administration to have the
country always with it; the mis-
fortune of the fuel administration to
have the country always against it.
Everybody stop eating for week."
Mr.. Hoover might enjoin, and the
answer would be three cheers for
Hoover
Everybody save a pound Of coal
week. MIR. Garfield might say, and
everybody would groan and hiss.
When the news reached q certain
state that it's mines would no longer be
permitted to ship coal to a neighborine
state, the Governor grabbed the first
train for Washington to plead for the |
local industry's right to sell its coal to
the neighbor. Having only partial in
formation, he feared that his home in.
dustry would be ruined.
Zone System Means
When 1t was explained to him that |
much coal formerly coming into his
state from outside mines had been cut
Off, thus giving the local mines as
large market as ever, the Governor
naIvely shifted his argument and de-
clared that his people wouldn't burn
such poor quality of coal as they pro-
duced.
VI course, some complaints were we'll
founded and changes were made here
and there, but such changes were in
the nature Of perfecting the application
OF the zone principle rather than of
violating it,
The zone system is not an end, but a
means. One Of the regional bins may