The Topeka state journal., 1919-12-11
Regional Orders Permit DeIiv-
cry Coal to Destination.
Resumption Regular Passenger
Schedules, Bush Forecasts.
CRISIS STILL ACUTE HERE
City Officials Decide Not to Re.
woke Ordinance.
Mayor Warns Against Laxity in
Local Conservation.

st. Louis, Dec. 11.-Fuel con-
servation restrictions in the
southwest region were lifted
today, the regional coal COM
mittee announced. Regulations
of retail stores may be discon-
tinued. Coal passing thru St.
Louis will be sent to it's desti-
nation as billed, the committee
announcement said.
Recommends Normal Schedules.
st. Louis, Mo-. Dec. Regular
passenger schedules on all railroads
will be resumed Monday morning. B.
f. Bush, southwest regional railroad
director. today said he expected. a
recommendation for return to normal
schedules has been sent to Director
General Hines. Bush said.
Bush said he made the recon-
mendation in a telegram sent to Di-
rector Hines shortly before noon.
Federal managers of southwestern
| railroads were to go in session with
Bush this afternoon relative to re-
| sumption of normal train schedules.
The announcement of the south
west reSiona. committee today. cancel
| ling the closing restrictions on retail
stores, will have no immediate eff Ct
on the stores of Topeka. it was indi-
/ Gated today by members of the csty
commission Neither was IL thought
that the end of the mine strike VIII
i cause much change in the closing
orders.
Store Restrictions 10 Stay.
! The fuel situation in Topeka is sill
/ too acute to permit the lifting OF the
I stores.
city officials. Mayor Herbert j. :s3r-
wine and Commissioner Stanfield n.ct
! this noon with the citizens coal com
mittee to get at the exact condition
facing the city.
+, Coal dealers on the committee said
! that the city had no coal in sight and
| that il would be Il great mistake TO
cancel the restrictions at this time.
Guilford Dudley. chairman OF the
committee, and other coal men. assert
ed that it would be at least three weeks
before coal would be- coming into To-
peka in any appTeciabie quantity. The
mines in a bad shape after the
long period of inactivity and the cars
are mostly concentrated a: the work
ing mines. When the mines begin pro-
ducing again. the railroads and large
Industrial plants viii have the first
call for coal. so that coal men are not
optimistic regarding the domestic sit
uation.
Mayor corwine expressed his belief
that citizens were becoming lax in
conserving light and heat. light espe-
cially He urged all the people to con-
tinue to keep down their consumption
until the conditions are improved: that
is, until coal act-ally begins arriving
in Topeka.
The city commission meets Friday
morning and the fuel ordinance may
come up for discussion. but drastic
modification of T.. if any. is not ex-
pected. The commission may let the
stores remain open Saturday nights for
the benefit of the working people. but
one commissioner today said that. IL
(, this was done. the stores probably
would not be allowed to open until
noon Saturdays.
Confer This Afternoon.
The mayor and the commissioners
were to hold an informal meeting at
4 o'clock this afternoon to consi'ier
what action would be taken, If any, on
modifying the city closing ordinances
at the regular meeting tomorrow. The
commissioners late this afternoon.
when told of the action of Kansas City
in lifting the ban there, said 1t was
highly Improbable any drastic change
!. would be made in the local restric-
tions for the present