Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-07-23

seriously curLdl!lne codi pioouNlA''i
gave additional impetus to the move
ment for prohibition of the liquor
traffic for the remainder OF the war.
In an official statement the associa-
ton. composed Of nearlyall the btu
minous operators, said that nation
wide prohibition for the period Of the
war is absolutely essential TO speed
ing up the mines sufficiently to pro-
duce the 100, 600, 900 additional tons OF
coal the country will require this
winter.
An appeal to put bone dry prohibi-
ton into effect at once was addressed
BY the association to Fuel Admins
traitor Garfield. who has laid it before
President Wilson and every senator
and representative.
The coal production committee S
recommendation to the association
was:
"ResardIess Of political affiliations
Of the members Of the association
and leaving out Of consideration the
moral issues involved. and basing it's
! opinion entirely on economic and pa
triot,e grounds, the committee unan.
imously and unquaifedIy believes
that national prohibition for the Pc
Rod of the war is absolutely neces-
sary to make effective this or any
other plan for increased coal produe-
ton. A comparison Of the records Of
production Of mines in wet and dry
territories furnishes ample proof Of
the need Of prohibition. The various
instances cited to you need not be re-
peated here, but they typify the ex-
perieneo Of operators throughout the
entire country"
Thus It is up TO" the President
and Congress. The people will know
where to place the blame if they do
not get coal. If the administration,
with full power, thinks more of sup
plying personal libcrtyites" with
booze and the liquor interests with
I profits. than of saving the people of
this country from suffering next win
ter. then some delay or subterfuse
may be found.
We await the answer from Wash
ington. Tho old pretense Of they
will not work if they cannot have
their booze" has been proven a lie
ten thousand times, and certainly in
this case cannot he denied,
The liquor traffic is curtailing coal
production" the coal association
says. land the country can not expect
to keep booze in the mining sections
now and have enough coal later on.
1T is now up to Congress to make
a clcan-cut choice between booze for
the mining communities and coal fol
the war and the public A. r. Ham
ilton. chairman Of the assocation's
coal production committee, said,
The warning uttered by the opera
tors in the face of the growing pros
pect of a coal famine next winter
even worse than that of last winter
unset all calculations for war time
prohibition legislation. Several dry
leaders at the capitol said that Con-
gress would be derelict in its duty il
, 1T should delay longer the passage OF
the bill making the country bone dr.
on January I. next.
In announcing its attitude on thu
liquor question the National Goa
. Association said:
Nation wide prohibition for tht
| period of the war is absolutely essen
( tial in the opinion of the Nationa
p Coal Association, representing btu
: minous coal operators with an annua
1 production of nearly 100000, 900 tons
Q TO make effective plans for speed
ing up the mines sufficiently to ge
4 the 100, 900. 900 additional tons of Goa
Y the country will need this winter.
l "A definite program for increased
e coal production. placed formally be
/. fore the United States fuel admins.
tration as the best thought of the in
dustry. carries with it the recon
mendation that nation wide prohibi
ton be put into effect at once. The
coal production committee Of the Ma
! tional Coal Association, which form
ulated the program. also has ad
dressed a letter to each member o
= Congress advising him of the recon
mendation.
In the opinion Of the representa-
n tive committee Of operators, whic.
r comprises in its membership dele
gates from virtually every large Goa
G producing field in the nation, tn,
n country can not have both booze ant
r sufficient coal this winter. Nor ca'
the country keep booze in the mimi,
sections now and have enough Goa
later on. The liquor traffic is cur
=, failing coal production and the tim
- has come to eliminate it if there i
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