Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-04-05
iowa AGAIN
FACES COAL
SH OR I AGE
Lack of Harmony Between
McAdoo and Garfield,
With Traffic a Serious
Problem, Reduces Supply
For Next Winter.

MANY MINES IDLE
IN SOUTHERN FIELD
Most of the mines in southern Iowa
are idle; others are working on a
greatly reduced schedule Indicating
q coal shortage next winter greater
than that Of last winter-largely be-
cause of difference between Director
McAdoo and Fuel Administrator Gar
field, over the prices to be paid by
railroads for coal.
Another factor. and big one, ac-
cording to mine operators, is the traf-
fic condition, the failure to get cars in
which to load and ship the coal that
is mined.
One extensive operator in southern
Iowa says that while the east suffer
cd from the traffic difficulties last win
ter, mines I'm the west were we'll off in
comparison. Now the condition has
changed and the western operator Is
finding the same difficulty that beset
the eastern mines last winter
MARKET 10 RESTRICTED
Another phase Of the coal situation
that the operators find distasteful Is
the new coming system inaugurated by
the fuel administration. Iowa coal is
not to be sold tn all parts Of Iowa but
s0ly In q portion of the state. To
southern Iowa mines this means that
their field in eastern Iowa particularly
II quite restricted for large part OF
the eastern section of the state Is
Illinois mines territory exclusively
for the whole year, some Is competi-
Z tive and strip along the northern
tier Of counties is given over to tho
dock coal concerns.
LOOK FOR COAL FAMINE
The local operators do not view the
situation with anything like pleasure.
Not only the zoning system, but with
the other factors which are major in
Importance, they are not able to run
their mines now when every ton OF
coal mined means just that much
toward preventing coal famine next
winter. That 1t will come, they are
satisfied for unless relief comes and
comes Immediately, thousands of tons
OF coal will daily be sacrificed that
might otherwise be mined now and
placed in the cellars of the house
holder for next winter.
LITTLE CHANCE TO INCREASE
They look for something to be done
soon to relieve the situation and say
that it has to come, but they are more
hopeful than expectant. They are
agreed that II the condition does not
get relief very soon, the increased ton
mage they were asked to mine will not
only be an impossibility, but an even
greater shortage will exist next win
IL - no ,u{11 ho
greater than before and as the war
progresses this demand is augmented
but the condition that now obtains
ing normal mining much less increas-
ing the output.
RAILROADS ARE BIG USERS
In the past and for many years, rail
roads have purchased coal on con-
tracts, paying often less than the &C
tual cost OF production but being able
to get that price because they were
year-around patrons and could make a
market for large portion Of the unit
Dut Of mines on their lines winter and
summer This enabled the mine oper
ators to keep the mines open and men
available for work when the demand
increased, but it compelled small buy
ers to pay correspondingly high
price.
Under the fuel administration con-
tracts were not to be made except at
prices fixed by the government. which
prices are the same for all classes of
patrons This would mean that the
railroads must pay an average price
for their coal and that the general
public would receive the benefit Of
reduction
CONTRACTS EXPIRED APRIL I
The railroads contracts, or most of
them, expired April l. Regional d.
rector R. H. Ashton. acting for Direc-
tor General McAdoo, is said to have
ordered the railroads not to make con-
tracts on the basis of the government
price but to demand prices cores
ponding to their former low figures,
plus only enough to account for nat
ural increases in wages and prices Of
materials
The operators are between two fires.
The policy OF the fue' administration
to accept no price below the one fixed
by the government, ana if they should
20 below that figure in contracts they
would stand to lose money because
they could not charge their smaller
coal users extra prices to make up the
deficiency as in the past. They are
unable to compel the railroads to pay
the Garfield prices, however and are
compelled to close their mines by a
lack of orders
GARFIELD AND M'ADOo AT ODDS
1t is gossiped about Washington,
according to men who have been there
recently, that DR.. Garfield and Score
tary McAdoo are at odds over the
subject of the cost Of coal to railroads.
Each of these men has had the sup
port of President Wilson in the past.
and it remains to be seen now which
will be favored by the executive if he
Is asked to settle this question,
Meanwhile, Iowa is losing coal
production, which will be greatly
missed next winter, at rate esti-
mated by some coal operators at 90
600 to 10000 tons day.