New-York tribune., 1918-01-23
Railroad Chiefs
Ready to Answer
Wiggin Charges
Deny That They Have Con
tributed to Country's
Coal Shortage
Blame the Weather
More Details of Contemplated
New Zoning System Ex-
planned

Railroad officials said last night thai
the charge of Albert II. Wiggin, stats
Fuel Administrator, that the coal
carrying roads were mainly responsible
for the failure to break the coal fam
inc here would not remain unanswered
Lackawanna executives declared that
replies would be forthcoming as soon
as data could be assembled to disprove
or explain Mr.. Wiggin's charges. These
were:
That the railroads had disrcgarded
his recommendation with reference
to working terminal yards twenty
four hours a day.
That his plea for the appointment
of dock commissioner with plenary
power to move coal had been disre-
garded to the extent that the official
appointed was limited in authority to
making inspections and reports.
That unwA.rranted delays we're
holding coal dumpings to 1904 cars
a day, when at least 1000 cars should
be unloaded every twenty-four hours
to break the fuel famine.
None Of the railroad presidents WAS
prepared to speak for publication last
night, but one declared that present
conditions were due neither to a labor
shortage, the result Of refusal tn
pay workers more than 35 cents an
hour, nor to an unwillngness to CO.
operate with the fuel administration,
but sole3y to circumstances over which
they had no control.
Weather to Blame
"Tke weather is mainly responsible,
not the railroads." this official de-
clared. "The weather cannot be blamed
upon u.s.
"Sometimes," said an aid. of A. X.
Morris, the dock director appointed hy
the railroads, who, Mr.. Wiggin de .
clared, had not been clothed with suf-
ticient power, "it is impossible to ge I
cars to the piers. An engine freezes,
rail cracks, causing derailment,
or car. uncoupled in the dark, runs
wild. They have been known to do
that and knock men off into the bay
or crush them to death. Thirty six
men have been killed lately in terminal
pier accidents"
Things like these stop work. The
men lay off for an hour or two. They
quit in snowstorms. 1t is easy to run
piers on paper. A man in an Office can
do it easily. But get out on the job,
tackle conditions under which we find
it impossible to get Americans to work
as laborers. It's different then.
ut is slow work at best. During the
night hours, in the murk and steam,
with ice under foot and the possibility
of train slipping up on YOU, it is
slower still. All the dock commission
ers, with labor at a cent an hour, could
not make it any better
Railroad and coal, men got further
details yesterday Of the zone system of
coal distribution, which, it is said, will!
be put into effect within two weeks in
place of the present scheme of con-
trolling distribution from Washington
Committee to Select Administrator
A committee of fifteen coal operators
of Penns ylvania, headed by B. NJ. Clark,
Of the Bituminous Coal Operators AS
sociation, and Thomas II. Watkins, of
the Low Volatile Operators Associa-
tion, has been appointed to select q
coal man as administrator for the Penn j..
sylvania field, which will serve New
York and Eastern New Jersey
This administrator will have three
assistants and be subject only to the
have practically autocratic powers with
reference to distribution of coal
According to C. f. Lesher of the
Geological Survey, who is acting with
DR.. Garfield in the fuel administration,
there will be eleven producing zones,
each of which will have an administra :.
tor as coal distributor and transporta-
tion expert as adviser There will be
twenty consuming zones.