Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-06-03
SEARCH HOUSES
OF CONSUMERS?
Fuel Officials Suggest Plan OF AS
certaining Quantity of Coal
in Local Homes.
MAY ASK BOY SCOUT HELP
Urges Fuel Purchasers to Prepare
for Winter to Prevent An
other Famine.

In order to ascertain exactly
what condition prevails here, the
Boy Scouts may be called on to in
vestigate each house in Rock Is
land, Davenport and Moline to learn
what quantity of coal consumers
have on hand.
This plan was suggested and con-
sidered at the meeting held at the
Rock Island club Saturday after
noon by the division of transpOrta-
ton of the car section of the United
States railroad administration with
the Rock Island Subcommittee and
the tri-city coal dealers and will be
put up to the local fuel administra-
tors.
In regard to the meeting the
committee today issued the follow
ing:
The meeting was called for the
purpose of ascertaining what was
being done to bring home to the
consumer the absolute necessity of
laying in their supply of coal now;
with the thought in mind when the
cOngested period arrives that the
tri-cities would be so well supplied
that no worry would he had on &C
count of shortage of coal.
THE larger industries are lay
ing in enough coal to carry them
through the congested period and
are extending their facilities to
store as much as possible. 1t was
brought out at the meeting that
householders are not taking advan-
tage of the supply at the present
time, as all are endeavoring to Sc
cure southern Illinois coal, which
is coming into the tri-cities in very
small quantities, due to the small
difference in price between south
ern Illinois and Fulton, Springfield
and Mercer county coal. Those
who are attempting to secure their
winters supply of southern Illinois
coal are very apt to be sorely dis
appointed, as indications are that
all such coal will be Communicated
by Chicago, on account of its anti
smoke ordinances and the fact that
anthracite shipments to Chicago
are prohibited by the fuel admins
traitor.
Against Slogan.
"At a recent meeting Of the In
ternational Railway Fuel assOcia-
ton, an organization of railroads
and coal handlers, John P. White
of the United Mine Workers asso-
citation threw a bombshell into the
meeting by declaring that the slo-
gan Save a Shovelful of Coal Per
Day" was entirely uncalled for, and
placed the blame of the fuel short
age on the railroads for not fur
nishing cars to keep the miners at
work. At the present time the mine
districts are flooded with empty
cars, but the fault lies with the con-
sumner, who is not cooperating with
the movement by not laying in his
supply. The householder who has
not placed his order for his win
ter's coal by the end Of the next few
weeks will not only fail of doing his
duty, but will be unpatriOtic, and
will have no one to blame but him
self If he is unable to obtain enough
fuel after snow flies. Unless the
mines are operated to maximum ca
pacity or at least to the capacity OF
available cars during the remain
der of the year, the country will
IGbC tic AGlllSCI Vi a lQSI ldlllIlt
and possibly a shutdown of indus
try next winter, which will be even
more serious than the nations ex-
perience last winter.
To Consider Plan.
"One of the plans contemplated
and considered in order to ascer-
tain the true situation in the tri-
cities, is making a house TO house
canvass. 1t is probable that the
Boy Scouts, who have done such eff
fcient work during the Liberty
loans and Red Cross drives, will
make the canvass. The matter will
be considered by the commercial
bodies and fuel commissions of the
tri-cities.
ITO lessen the danger of a fuel
famine as much as possible, the
fuel administration is seeking to
stimulate production and to cause
as much storage Of coal as pos