Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-01-15
BOARD OPPOSES
EXCESSIVE HEAT
State Fuel Administration Orders
Temperature in Buildings Not to
Exceed 20 Degrees.


Orders were received. in Moline yes
terday afternoon from John Williams,
state fuel administrator, directing that
no building in this city be heated to
a temperature greater than 70 degrees
Fahrenheit. The order was issued to
help the present acute coal shortage
and it becomes effective Immediately.
Exceptions may be made only on
orders from a physician where in spe-
cial instances it becomes necessary
to maintain higher temperature.
DR.. H. A. Beam, president OF the
Rock Island County Medical society,
who received copy Of the order from
the state fuel administrator, stated
that he was heartily in favor of the
emergency step. He believed, he said,
that all physicians Of the county
would cooperate with the fuel admin
istration in effecting observance OF
the regulations.
The order applies to all users OF
fuel for heating purposes and lists
under places heated hotels, office
buildings, stores, shops, theatres, fac
tories, apartment buildings and resi-
dences.
Moline right now is experiencing a
coal famine, as result of the recent
blizzard which forced suspension of
railway traffic and blocked the road
between here and Pryce's bank in Coal
Valley. The situation, however, is not
alarming, though it may be if the cold
snap continues and the people Of Mo-
line do not eliminate waste in the use
of fuel
Yesterday the Coal Valley road was
opened and SO tons of coal were hauled
ed to Moline. Unless the road is CLOS
ed again because Of thaw a like
amount will be hauled each day. Ev-
cry dealer in Moline has a coal ship
ment on the way from the mines which
is expected to reach here shortly
Members of the Rock Island county
fuel administration are doing every
thing possible to relieve the situation,
and to this end they are asking the
cooperation of the consumers. 1t is
true that every family and every in
stitution cannot be adequately sup
piled with the small amount of coal
that is coming into Moline at present.
In order that no one will suffer, the
government agents have taken the
matter of distribution in hand and in
this way are having the united sup
port of the dealers.
The schools are closed this week as
measure OF conserving the supply.
L. A. Mahoney, superintendent OF
schools, stated this morning that the
different schools have enough coal on
hand to keep them properly heated a
week.
Because of the uncertainty Of trans
portation, the extreme cold and the
depleted attendance in the schools, the
school board found it a convenient
/ time this week to close the schools
and allow the dealer which has the
contract to supply the schools, to sup
ply other customers, whose lack OF
fuel might cause privation and suffer
| ing. But Mr.. Mahoney feels that the
schools should not be closed longer
than a week unless it is absolutely
necessary. Nj it comes to question
of whether the schools or some other
institution less important to the COM
munity should close after this week
he believes the schools should have
the preference. 1t will not be known
however, until Thursday what the out
come of the situation will be so far
as it concerns the schools. On that
day a meeting of the school board
dealers and fuel administrators will
be held for the purpose of canvassing
the local conditions.
If the people would aid in the con-
servation of fuel they will adhere tc
these rules:
Do not demand the dealer to deliver
coal to you if you have more than a
half ton in your bin.
Reduce the temperature Of your
house to normal and do not attempt
to heat the entire house if it is a big
one.
Use Judgment in regulating your
furnace so you will get the maximum
amount of heat out of minimum
amount of coal.
To guard against boarding the
precious black nuggets, dealers are
asked by the fuel administrators t.
first make sure that customer is in
need of coal before making a deliver,
by making a personal inspection Of
the bin.
NJ. J. McEniry was swamped with
calls for fuel yesterday, and mum
Der of these requests were made
through the department of Mrs. Rose
Salisbury, city missionary. In this
emergency Mr.. McEniry went out and
made personal investigation of eact
case and where he found that families
were in dire need of fuel he had the
coal delivered by the dealers.