The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-12-01
Of
COAL STATES IN
DRASTIC ACTION
WILL TAKE STEPS TO
HAVE MINES OPENED
Recommend Permanent Ma
tional Fuel Administration
WithState Administrators

CHICAGO. Nov. 80 Governors OF
seven soft Co"l producing states NJ 4
conference to-day agreed that the State
governments should take all possible
recommended I" the federal government
that Il complete fuel administration
with an administrator FOR cach state
hc perfected Immediately. The state cN-
CCutiNCS also requested equitable olS-
trIbuliun of coal under uniform ana
rigid regulations m all states. ,
Til" executives participating IN Inc
conference, which WAS called ny Cover
nor Frederick ID. Gardner. Of Missouri
announced that they had adjourned 10
mrc, in St. Louis next sunday. In tho
meantime, they Will await further dcv-
elopmrnt of TN" federal Euvcrnmon
efforts in bringing about = r"sHLnpt'ch
Of production. Miles c. Riley. of Mad
was instructed /" proceed to Washing
ton, where n" VIII remain temporarily
MS tn" representative" ut the governors
and Ito present To the authorities the
seriousness Of the situation on IN the
coal states"
Governors Attending
Governors in attendance ~ ~thr con
fcrcnC" were Frank @. Lowd"n OF III
inuiS: James l.. Goodrich of Indiana; W.
Il. Harding OF Iowa Gard"r "f MisS"u-
ri; }. Il. A. Robertson "f oklahoma; y.
H. Roberts Of T"nur SSC". and Attorney
General K. J. Hopkins Of Kansas. who
represented G"Nrrnur Henry J. Allen.
Ii was agreed by The executives that
their states faced a S"rinus shortage OF
coal and that only utmost conservatism
and the most riEldIy supervised dIstrib-
ulion would rr"N"nt suffering by the
people and disaster to Industry.
Tho officials Wrr" Of an unanimous
opinion that tn, fuel administration or
rauizatiuu would bc perfected Ia pro
vide NOR" absniut" charE" "t coat re-
serves and distribution through stat"
administrators u.ln,d hy III" governors
themselves. Th" srE$iuns If the confer
rnrc were cXrrutlv" and il was not un-
ill , late III thu ait"rm""r th"t II hd-
journrd and i>.ucd IL public statement.
Meet Next Sunday
Governor Gardner announced alter
tho conference that il was the s"ntl-
mcnt uf the meeting that the governors
should use every effort to have The
state governments nl"'f IN" coal SIT
uatiOn in their "'inm"nw 'alihS. IL was
desired 10 Cuufrr;.i" with the federal
officials and until ia" government had
more time 10 I,Ui its plans for inCrchS-
ing production inl,' effect no further
action by tn" governors conference
would hr taken until the meeting one
week h~E"c in 81. l.uuI$.
The StHr, m'nt made public announces
that the conference had unanimously
agreed on The following rCcommcnda-
tonS:
tratiurt organization for the country be
perfected by TN" app"intmcnt at once
Of q fuel administrator in each state u
he recommended 10y the Eu,"rn"rS, TO
b. compensated by the federal govern
ment and to have full charge and CON
trul Of all cual available for his state
For Equal Distribution ~
:, I'm view Of The statements by lD!rcc-
tor tiru"ral Hines tu III" effect that the
rroduciiu ion uf Suit coal is now forty 10
nifty per e Mt uf normal. and in view I'll
reports from other sources I" III" effect
that the production "f hard coal is now
above nIin:tl, all coal mined and IN
stock in III" United states. both soft
and hard. should hr distributed cGuIi-
ably among the IS states on In" basis
Of their needs M d,N,lUprd during the
war. regardless Of the state where
mined.
"'rhat rigid and uniform rules and
regulations fer III" greatest run!rrEn-
tim Of coal throughout tn" l'mon b.
forthwith established. promulgated and
enforced.
THAT the respective state govern.
mcnt take al r"tsihlc steps to secure
the Production Of cool.
"That Miles G. Ri!cy. secretary of the
(Cnn.inued on pare Tcpl