South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-12-01
COAL SITUATION
AGGRAVATED BY
RAILWAY STRIKE
GOVERNORS HOLD
COAL SESSION
Recommend State Action to
Deal With Situation in
Mining Districts.


CHICAGO, Nov. 3O.-Governors
Of seven soft coal producing states
at a conference Sunday agreed that
the state governments should take
all possible steps to obtain the pro-
duction of coal and recommended
to the federal government that a
complete fuel administration, with
an administrator for each state 20
be recommended by the government
be perfectly Immediately. The state
executives also requested equitable
distribution Of coal under uniform
and rigid regulations in all states
Meet Again Sunday.
The executives participating in
the conference, which was called by
Gov. Frederick D. Gardner. of Mis-
souri,, announced that they had ad-
journed to meet in st. Louis next
Sunday. In the meantime they will
await further development of the
federal governments efforts to
bring about resumption Of prOduc-
ton. Miles c. Riley, OF Madison
Wis, secretary Of the meeting. was
instructed to proceed TO Washing
ton, where ne viii remain tempo
rarily as the representative Of the
governors and TO present to the
authorities the seriousness of the
situation in the states"
Governors in attendance at thC
conference were Frank O. Lowden
Of Illinois; James P. Goodrich. ot
Indiana; W. L. Harding, Of Iowa
Gardnes, Of Missouri: J. p. A. Rob.
ertson, Of Oklahoma; a. II. Rob
erts. OF Tennessee. and Atty. Gen
r. J. Hopkins. Of Kansas who rep
resented Gov. Henry J. Allen.
Serious Situation.
II was agreed by the executives
that their states faced a serious
shortage Of coal and that only the
utmost conservation and the most
rigidly supervised distribution would
prevent suffering by the people and
disaster to industry.
The officials were Of a unanimou,
opinion that the fuel administra
tion organization should be per
fected TO provide more absolute
charge OF coal reserves and distri-
button through state administrator,
named by the governors themselves
The sessions of the conference were
executive and it was not until late
in the afternoon that II adjourned
and issued n public statement.
Gov. Gardner announced after
the conference that IL was the sen
timent Of the meeting that the gov
ernors should use every effort u
have the state governments NEE
the coal situation in their own com.
monwealths. It was desired 10 CO.
operate with the federal Officials
and until the government had more
time 20 put it's plans for increasing
production into effect no further &C.
ton by the governors conference
would be taken until the meeting
one week hence in St. Louis.
Make Recommendation.
The statement made public an
nounced that the conference had
unanimously agreed cn the follow
ing recommendations
That a more complete fuel ad-
ministration organization for tht
country be perfected by the ap-
pointment at once Of a fuel admin
istrator in each state 70 be recon-
mended by the governors. 70 be com
pensated by the federal government
and to have full charge and cOntro
Of all coal available for his state.
"In view OF the statements by
Director Gen Hines 70 the effecf
that the production Of soft coal Il
now 40 70 so per cent Of norma
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