Omaha daily bee., 1919-12-01
Anthracite Miners
May Join in Strike

CONTINUED From Page One.)
ices, were discussed but action de-
ferred. ..". H..
Schools in Kansas City, Omaha
and Lincoln already have been or
dered closed and theaters and stores
and even industry reduced to shorter
hours, as we'll as in Indiana. The
University of Nebraska may be
closed.
The Chicago committee decided
that cold storage plants were non
essential, but should have coal to
prevent food spelling. The south
western regional committee at st.
Louis warned essentials that heating
and lighting must be reduced or
more drastic measures would be in
| itiated.
Actual Famine Feared.
Washington, Nov. 30.-The pinch
of the coal shortage promised to-
night to force the adoption Of
drastic measures to avert an actual
famine. A vacation of one month
by the soft coal miners has brought
on conditions like those prevailing
during the war in many sections, but
wartime restrictions have not alto
gether checked the drain on coal
piles.
Not much hope was held out by
officials tonight for early production
of bituminous coal in quantities sui
fcient to permit the maintenance
of the present reserves, under ST.
pervision Of the railroad admins
tration's central coal committee.
The latest authentic figures show
that last weeks soft coal output did
not reach fifty per cent of normal
production. This meant, officials
explained, that local needs must be
met from the supplies being distrib-
uted through the central committee,
whose stocks aggregated about H.
100000 tons when the miners quit
work. No figures were available to-
day as to the exact amount now on
| hand. ...
While regional coal committees
acting under instructions from
Washington have been dealing out
| coal sparing1y, other drastic restric-
tons have been agreed upon by the
central committee. They will be
put into effect whenever the regional
COMMITTEES are unable to meet the
situation with local EQUATIONS. De-
tails have not been made public but
it is known that the plan provides
for a tremendous reduction in soft
| coa1 cooSi,mntion
Hopes to Operate Tuesday.
Topeka, Kan, Nov. 50.-The prob
able opening of coal mines IN the
Usage county field, with daily pro-
fduction estimated at between 400
and 500 tons, and the dispatch of
1900 National Guardsmen and $50
volunteer coal miners to the Chero-
kee-Crawford coal district, were
other developments in the coal
strike situation in Kansas today.
| Gov. Henry ]. Allen today con-
ferred with operators from the
| Usage county fields and afterward it
was indicated that he hoped to have
the mines there in operation by
| Tuesday.
ne governor also was HOtllleu w.
night that brass fittings had been
removed from a steam shovel at the
Acme Coal company mine, JlS miles
north of Pittsburg. Regarding the
acts of sabotage, Governor Allen de
clared that the mines will be fully
protected and that with fedora
troops already on the field it was
expected that no further trouble
would develop.
| Guardsmen Entrain.
During the day and early thi:
evening approximately 1900 Ma
tional Guardsmen, composing tn:
Fourth Kansas infantry, fully
equipped, entrained for the Pitts
burg district and are expected tc
reach there early tomorrow. While
they were preparing to move Gov
ernor Allen wired the War depart
ment in Washington requesting
equipment for four companies o
rcavalry to be available if it wa'
found necessary to send mountee
Troops into the mining district