Omaha daily bee., 1919-11-07
Railroad Administration Takes
Strong Stand to Safeguard
Country's Meager Supply Of
BituminouS Product.
WARTIME RESTRICTIONS
ENFORCED, IN INDIANA
Regional Directors Of Rail-
roads Authorized to Suspend
Such Train Service as Is Not
Wholly Necessary.

Chicago, Nov. 6.--New restric-
tions on the use of soft coal were
announced today, the sixth day of
the miners strike. In some locali-
ties orders were even more drastic
than during the war, but the general
situation showed little change.
While production in West Vir-
ginia and Colorado were reported
increased since yesterday, there
was no noticeable change in the
ranks of the 425,000 striking miners.
Appeals for coal to prevent dis
tress in many towns of Kansas and
Alabama were sent to state and
railroad officials.
Bunkering of foreign owned ves-
sells at American ports was ordered
stopped by the central coal commit
tee of the railroad administration at
Washington.
The committee also authorized
regional directors of railroads to
suspend such train service as might
be regarded absolutely necessary,
but let it be known that no general
curtailment was planned.
Sixty-six trains were annuled BY
the Chicago and Northwestern and
the Chicago, Milwaukee and St.
Paul railroads.
Most Drastic Actioh.
Indiana's public service commis-
sion took the most drastic action ii
the domestic field. 1t decreed light
less streets, discontinuance of elee-
trio sign service, coal gas for heat
ing and other advisable restrictions
of service by public utilities with less
than two weeks supply of coal.
Counsel for the miners filed a oe-
tition in the Indianapolis federal
court for the dissolution of the GOV
ernment's temporary injunction
against the strike.
The railroad administration coal
distribution system under fuel ad-1
minlstration regulations was am
nounced to be in full operation to-
day. In Chicago the coal commit.
tees of the northwestern and central
western railroad regions announced
removal of all restrictions on coal
shipments for federal, state, county
and municipal, public utility, daily
newspapers and few similar classi-
fications throughout the country.
The order applied to coal already
taken charge of in transit and that
to be mined, and was designed to
meet pressing necessities, such as
freeing coal cars for mines still in
operation.
Suspension of Trains.
The suspension of trains, the ma
jority OF the suburban and local pas
senger runs, made an idle train crew
tor each train annulled. Of the 66
runs eliminated, ID directly affects
Chicago. The two principal trains
eliminated by the Chicago, Mifwau-
kee & st. Paul were trains % and
80, Chicago to Cedar Rapids, Ia,
and Cedar Rapids to Chicago. A
total of 81 trains were ordered sus-
pended on various divisions of the
Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul.
Other railroads were expected to
cut their schedules within "a hours.
Small cities and towns of Kansas
reported nearly empty coal bins with
the prospect of closing light and
water plants. A nearly similar situ-
alton prevailed in Nebraska, where
some schools were on the point OF
closing.
West Virginia operators reported
a. mines in union districts in opera
ton at the rate of 100000 tons a
year. or about two-thirds of normal.
A slight increase in production also
was reported by Colorado opera
tors, while those in New Mexico
said but half of the miners were ON
strike.