Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-02-02
SHARP CRITICISM BY MANUFACTURERS Of COUNTY FUEL
BOARD ANSWERED BY F. w. BENDER WITH RESOLUTION
COMMENCING THE BODY FOR lTSTlRELESS ENDEAVORS

r. W. Bender, secretary OF the Rock
Island Chamber of Commerce, who
has been closely associated with the
Rock Island county fuel board, went
to the defense of the body with a reso-
luton yesterday commencing 1t upon
its tireles efforts to handle the coal
situation.
The resolution came in answer to
sharp criticism made by manufactur-
ers in Moline at the conference be-
tween the business and industrial in
terests of Rock Island, Moline and
East Moline and the county fuel
board at the Moline city hall.
The criticism of the methods EN-
ployed by the Rock Island county fuel
commission in getting coal to the
county to relieve the shortage here
was hurled at H. A. Clevenstine, May
or Carlson and NJ. j. McEniry by Will
liam Butterworth, president of Deere
& Co.
"All you do is talk, just talk" said
the head of the Deere organizations.
Your methods are entirely wrong. This
thing of talking about sacrifices and
then going home and dcng nothing
will get us nowhere"
Mr.. Butterworth's criticism was
also voiced by other manufacturers
who had gathered at the Moline city
hall in response to the urgent invita-
ton of the fuel commission, who had
called the meeting to consider ways
Of ayerting a famine and closing OF
local stores and industries.
Mayor Carlson had just finished tell
ing the merchants and manufacturers
of the county that industries would
| close in 4S hours unless relief came,
and Mr.. McEniry made a
speech in which he declared
that the commission would let no one
suffer and that no one would suffer.
What have you got us here for then,
if no one will suffer-" demanded Mr..
Buterworth of Mr. McEniry. Il don't
believe there is a man in this room
who will refuse to sacrifice. I don't
believe we can get anywhere by just
talking"
The commission, according to Mr..
Butterworth, was guilty of gross care
lessness in not informing the public
exactly what the situation was. The
manufacturers, he charged, had been
! given no definite figures on the coal
situation. He accused the commits
sion Of talking in generalities.
Rufus Walker, general manager of
the Root and Van Dervoort Engineer
ing company, and several other manu-
facturers. agreed with him.
Although the conference was opened
by statement that the industries
would have to be closed in 4S hours
unless relief came, the meeting closed
with an outburst of oratory in which
everyone called upon pledged his
hearty support to all rules and regula-
tons promulgated by the commission.
Upon motion of Rufus Walker, the
conference decided to put the matter
OF obtaining coal in the hands of a
committee composed of the coal COM
mission and the traffic and purchasing
agents of all the big industries of the
city. That committee will meet in
the city hall this afternoon.
Distribution and acquisition of coal
will be considered by that committee
In moving the appointment of such a
committee, Mr.. Walker declared that
it would take specific action and no,
talk to get coal here.
Mr.. McEniry answered Mr.. Butter
worth's criticism by declaring that he
had been working night and day and
that the commissions talk had lust
the other day brought 25 cars of coal
to the city.
Mr.. Clevenstine answered Mr.. But
terWorth's charges that the committee
had not furnished the public with any
definite figures on the needs of the
county by saying that it required from
1000 to 1900 tons daily in Moline for
domestic uses alone. Mayor Carlson
after the meeting, declared that the
criticism was largely due to misun-
derstanding Of the commissions work
He declined to make any further
statement in answer to Mr.. Butter
worth.
Towards the end Of the meeting Mr.
Bender warmly commended the coun-
ty fuel commission for it's work. The
commission. he declared, had worked