Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-01-15
Defense Councils Report
On Georgia Fuel Crisis
Is Given Here in Full

tent practised by the dealers, and this
Is inevitable, unless the fuel admins
traitor will make a uniform rate in
the various centers throughout the state,
and assume control of and dispense di-
rectly under his local administrators,
coal to all the people, on the same basis
and under permits to be issued in &C
cordance with such rules and regula-
lions as will insure no priorities except
in those cases provided for by law.
and absolutely no favoritism to any per-
son or corporation.
This Committee has made several
recommendations to the State Fuel Adj
ministrator looking to the relief of the
situation, and have received his assur-
ance that the plans suggested would be
Immediately adopted in cities and towns
throughout the State and that have not
already satisfactory plan in opera
ton.
Among the recommendations made
and which the state Fuel Administra-
tor agrees to adopt are:
THAT all dealers should be required
in every locality to sell at a uniform
price, variations in price being, in the
opinion of this Committee, largely re-
sponsible for the confusion that has
arisen in the minds Of the public.
Dealers Should Deliver E..
This committee further recommend
ed that the dealers make all deliveries,
except to peddlers, and that the admin
istration through the medium of a
central committee, working in conjunc-
ton with the local fuel administrators
should absolutely control by a card
system, the distribution of all coal
such central committee dealing with the
dealers as one entity, and not as sep
arate individuals, thus insuring against
boarding. and guaranteeing absolutely
impartial service to all, and, in the
opinion of this committee, the maxi
mum Of efficiency in service on the
part Of the dealers.
"Also, the state fuel administrator
states that he will assume direction of
coal consigned to all points in Geor-
gia. diverting same according to the
needs of the several communities, and
will exert every effort to see that as
large a quantity as possible is obtained
from the mines. The administrator will
Immediately put into effect plan
whereby the domestic consumer will be
given priority over enterprises and in
dustries except such as are engaged in
serving the public and domestic needs
''This committee and the state fuel
administrator have agreed that this is
the most feasible plan of meeting the
emergency.
"The citizens of all villages, towns
and cities where wood is available are
urged to use it for fuel, not only be-
cause of a strong probability that other
wise they would be without fuel but
also because of the patriotic obligation
which they are under to use as little
coal as possible, in order that the peo-
nile of the more populous centers, where
wood is not available may be enabled
to get coal with which to cook and keep
warm.
complaints have been made that con-
victs and prisoners in jails have suf-
fered for the lack of fuel. This COM
nlittee requests and urges each county
council of defense to take up with the
sheriffs of the counties, the ordinaries
or county commissioners, whichever
have charge of the convicts of the
county, and the fuel administrators of
their counties, the matters referred TO
herein, and cooperate to the fullest ex-
tent of their capacity in seeing that the
people in their homes, every prisoner in
the iails and the convicts within their
counties are supplied with fuel. The
council has the assurance of the prison
commission of the state of Georgia that
they will in every case where emer-
gency exists, cooperate to the full eX-
tent of their authority with sheriffs and
those in charge of prisoners, and citizens
generally and the county councils of de-
Tense are requested to bear this in mind
and urged to communicate either di-