Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1919-11-25
DRASTIC STEP IS
PLANNED BY HINES
Rail Director Confers With Re-
gionaI Aids at Chicago.
mo FREIGHT TRAIN EMBARGO
Passenger Service First to Be Cut to
Save CoaI-Then Would Follow
Lightiess Nights and HeatIess
Days in the Cities.

Chicago, Nov. Discrimination OF
hundreds of passenger trains from the
nations railroad schedules would pre-
clude any curtailment of freight ship
ments that might be ordered, Director
General of Railroads Walker Hines
declared on his arrival here. This ac-
ton is a remote possibility, he irdl-
Gated
1.-The country has a reserve fuel sup
ply on hand sufficient for % days, and
the supply is increasing" he said.
production of coal has increased 10
per cent since the first of November
and is now 20 per cent of normal"
On reaching the city Mr.. Hines
rushed to the Blackstone hotel, where
he tackled the problem of withhold
ing coal from certain industries and
possibly proclaiming national fuelless
days and lightless nights
Critical steps to solve the nations
fuel problem are necessary because
of the delay of the representatives of
the miners and the mine operators in
getting together on a settlement of the
coal strike in their Washington con-
ference.
Mines Idle Until Dec. 1, Outlook.
Reports from Illinois and Indiana
coal fields were that the miners do
not expect to be back on their jobs
before December 1.
With this prospect of continued non
production, Chicago and the nation
are supplied with only enough coal to
keep going a limited period Some
coal men say the supply will last two
weeks, some ten days and some only
a week-all depending on the advent
of real cold weather.
Mr.. Hines was summoned hurriedly
from Washington by Regional Direct
or r. III. Ashton of the railroad adj
ministration and Chairman T. w.
Proctor of the Chicago regional fuel
committee. At the conference those
in attendance besides Mr.. Hines, Mr..
Ashton and Mr.. Proctor, were Hale
Holden, central western region; A. L.
Hardin, eastern region; L. w. Bald
win, Allegheny; b. L. Bush, south
western; B. l.. Winchell, southern;
n. d. Mailer, POcahOntaS, and George
W. Reed, Chicago representative of
Fuel Administrator Garfield.
Will Cut Passenger Service.
should a general embargo be placed
It would result in a 40 per cent reduc-
ton of the present passenger train
service" said Mr.. Ashton, although
essential freight shipments will not
be curtailed because the railroads are
vital 20 the life of the nation and must
be kept going. Unless the miners re-
turn to work within the next ten days,
a fuel famine will be here" continued
the regional director Any sane man
knows that somebody must stop using
soft coal before it is too late.
when you quit taking coal out of
the ground and keep on burning it up
at the old rate it will be only a short
time until there will be no coal. That
is the condition right now, and that
is the condition that must be taken
care of at once or there will be a coal
famine"
Railroads Are Restricted.
The railroads have been ordered to
discontinue the privilege of cOnfiscat-
Ing coal in transit which they have en-
jOyed since the national government
took them over. Hereafter, the roads
must make application to the fuel adj
miniStratiOn before they can take over
coal in transit over their lines. accord
ing to information given out at the
office of Chairman Proctor.
This puts them on the same basis
rs other coal consumers although they
will remain a preferred user of coal
because of the Importance of keeping
up the movement of freight and mail
service
Extensive mining properties in Kan.
sas are being state operated and pro-
ceedings have been requested against
Ohio mines that will bring them I'M
der state control. along with the North
Dakota Ignite mines.
Workers Still Ignore Recall.
Except for North Dakota. Wyoming
and some Alabama and West Virginia
mines. production throughout the cOun-
try was reported as not bettered since
the initial day of the walkout. The
workers generally We're said to be
disregarding the strike recall order
dispatched by John L. Lewis, acting
president Of the United Mine Workers
al America, under order of the feder-
81 court. and TO be awaiting an agree
ment by the operators and Miners
leaders at Washington.
Only from ten to twelve days sup
ply of fuel was available for railroa Is
Of the central western region, accord
ing TO F. f. Clarity. assistant direct,
or Of the area.