The Topeka state journal., 1919-11-26
Committee to Chicago
Gets Shortage Relief.
But Situation Is Most Serious,
Mitchell Says.
SUPPLY ONLY FOR TEN DAYS
Country 1seaching Crisis in
Meetfig Fuel Needs.
Lightless-HeatIess Ordinance
in Effect Here Tomorrow.

T
yards belonging to the Edison COM
pany have been released by the regional
commission of the United States rail-
road administration. it was announced
/ today by Charles. L. Mitchell, who with
Richard F. Hodgins, appeared before
i the commission in Chicago Tuesday
with an appeal to relieve the serious
! fuel situation in Topeka, This order
was received by F. c. Fox, general
manager of the Santa Fe today
( Members of the business mems COM
mittee will go to st. Louis tonight to
arrange for the release of twenty-one
more cars to the Edison plant. Four
/ teen OF these are en- route over the
Missouri Pacific and seven are in the
yards of that railroad here. The COM
mittee met in Mr.. Mitchelfs office this
afternoon to select the delegation to
| go to st. Louis.
| Face Complete Shutdown.
! I'VE are face to face with COM
piete showdown" said Mr. Mitchell
in written statement upon his return
from Chicago today. THE present
/ supply of coal cannot more than keep
| the mail trains, hospitals and water
| plants in operation. With even the
| ordinary weather of Tuesday, it is the
honest opinion of the committee that
there is but ten days supply of coal
on hand"
Curtan Train Service.
There is no doubt but train serv
ice will be curtailed if the present
situation continues, according to the
committee.
Even if an agreement was reached
today between the operators and min
ers," declared Mr.. Mitchell in a sup
Elementary statement, "it would be ten
days before the country would be get
I
! IingsaNronld have to ba cleaned otiEsaFd
the cars at present diverted to the
operating mines would have to be re-
turned to their normal routings.'' !
The committee appealed to the peo-
pie of the city to continue to conserve
heat, light and power in every way
possible.
Five More Nights of Lights.
Five more nights of continuous
operation of street lights was assured
today when Supt Fred Painter secured
a carload of coal from the Santa Fe.
Painter declared, however, that this
was only prolonging the period until
there would be no more lights unless
more coal can be obtained from the
Santa Fe or some other source. The
! plant will be operated as economically
| as possible on the carload of coal they
now have. Lights will not be turned
on until it is really dark and will be
turned off in the early morning as
soon as natural light is in evidence.
Painter has been entirely unsuccessful
in locating any other source of OBJ
tanning coal for the light plant.
| Ordinance Into Effect.
| The emergency light heat and fuel
ordinance goes into effect tomorrow
morning. 1t is published officially in
the legal columns of The State Jour
j nal this evening.
! Contrary to an impression that has
grown enormously. business esta blish-
ments may remain open this evening
| if they choose. This will be neces-
sary only in the cases of groceries,
meat markets and other stores that
/ supply Topeka with the necessities for
a Thanksgiving spread"
; Believing that the ordinance was al
ready effective many establishments
closed their doors at o'clock Tuesday
afternoon. 1t was indicative. however,
of evident willingness to follow the
spirit of the law and helped to begin
at once to accustom citizens to the
change that will be noticeable upon
the ordinance going into effect.
| Can't Sell Tobacco or Drinks.
| A controversy has arisen over
whether or not tobacco and soft drinks
could be sold after p. m. According
to the ordinance, commissioners said
today. the sale of these commodities is
prohibited in ALL establishments after
o'clock. on account of its being un-
fair to other establishments selling
them at other hours. It was neces-
sary. members of the committee stat
ed, to draw some line of demarcation
i'll various businesses.
I Therefore, under the provisions of
the ordinance. confectioners may sell
only candyi drug stores only drugs;
and pool halls may operate pool and
billiard tables alone. This applies to
all esta blishments permitted to remain
open after the general 5 o'clock clos
ing clause. Soft drinks or fountain
connections must not be sold in any
Establishments after 8 o'clock. 1t ap-
plies also to tobacco.
| Altho there is considera BILE difficulty
experienced in drawing an ordinance
of this kind and making absolutely
fair Limitations as to what commodi.
ties establishments may sell and what
they may not sell, commissioners
stated today that few complaints had
, been received against the provisions OF
the ordinance. No changes are antici-
pated in the ordinance as published in
ICoDfiniIe,f an Pace