Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-01-26
COAL RESERVES
AND SYSTEM OF
ZONES PLANNED
Great Storage Points to be Estab-
lished Near All the
Large Cities.
NEW RESTRICTIONS MADE
By Associated Press TO Every Evening

By Associated Press To Every Evening
WAsurNGroN, JAN 26.
Confusion arising from unauthorized
diversion of coal by local fuel officials
prompted the fuel administration today
to issue definite set of regulations gov
erning the practice, which provide that:
Coal intended for destinations outside
of State must not be diverted by State
administrators without approval from
Washington.
Chairnen of local fuel committees must
not divert coal intended for other com
munitics without the approval Of State
fuel administrators.
Coal must not be diverted from one
preferred consumer to another except in
emergency cases.
Coal destined To bv-produce coke ovens
must not be diverted except In emergency
to relieve human suffering
Coal destined 10 underwater must not be
diverted except with the approval OF
Washington.
Coal must not be diverted until ar
rangements are made to pay for IT.
TO KEEP RESERVE SUPPLIES
Constructive steps for relief Of the coal
shortage and congestion Of railway
traffic have been taken. II is announced
that zone system, including a plan for
laving up in the summer vast reserves
of coal that will make impossible this
| winters troubles, has been decided upon
both for the production and the distrlbu-
tion of coal A zone system for clearing
Atlantic seaboard railway congestion
has been also placed before Director
General IcAdoo.
The new developments include these
ideas:
The division Of the bituminous coal
| districts into twenty producing zones,
with director in charge of each Seven
zone directors were named today.
The secondary formation of like con-
slming zones, situated with regard TO
! States lines and proximity 70 the pro
| duclng zones, TO be supplied by the latter
The formation Of reserve points near
all large centres, at which stocks OF coal
will be boarded, not to be touched ex-
ccpting IN emergency until the demands
| the succeeding winter.
The making Of an Atlantic seaboard
traihc gore for the handling Of all freight
destined for Atlantic seaboard ports.
SIMILAR To ENGLISH SYSTEM.
In discussing the plan DIR. Gar ieid last
| night said: Il he plan for the coming year
| calls for tuo weeks reserve supply IN
| the larger CENTRES of the country. | dc
/ not mean that we will have a reserve N
New York and other large cities great
enough 70 supply every furnace for two
| weeks, but it viii be large enough so that
/ In emergency persons unable 20 store
coal will be able to get coal from the re-
serve stock fro two weeks.
4 Joint committee from the fuel and
railroad administrations Is working out the
zone problem and will make . deAnlte
announcement within 3 few days.
| The district representatives In every
| instance will be operators or men ia
miliar with coal production. They Will
| allot all orders received from State
F! fuel administrators and will be made
responsible for the prompt movement
| Of coal out OF the producing fields. Al
| demands for emergency coal will go dl-
| rectiy 10 them. Anthracite IS not IN
cluded in the coming plan because most
| OF IT Is mined In narrow strip OF ter.
ritory in Pennsylvania.
The chiaf di hculCy looked for in adj
! ministration OF the zone system IS ex-
pected to come from the demand fol
J speci C grades of coal Producers in {
district serving speci ied consuming
i district will be permitted To sell in nC
/ other. Consumers will be required tC
purchase only in the districts serving theil
territory.