Arizona republican., 1919-12-01
GOVERNORS URGE: DIVISION
 IF GOAL MINED
States Should Share Equi- tably According to Needs Governors Decide - Also Recommend Rigid and Uniform Rules for Con- servation Throughout the Nation
Republican A. p. Leased WIrel


 CHICAGO, Nov. 30.-Governors of seven soft coal producing states, at a | conference today, agreed that the state l governments should take "all possible" steps to obtain the production of coal and recommended to the federal gov ernment that a complete fuel admin istration with an administrator for each state recommended by the gov ernors be perfected immediately. The state executives also requested equit- able distribution of coal under uniform and rigid regulations in all states.
 The governors participating in the conference, called by Governor Fred erick D. Gardner of Missouri. an- nounced that they had adjourned to meet in St. Louis next Sunday to await the further development of the federal governments plans for bring ing about resumption of coal produc- tion. Miles c. Riley of Madison, Wis, secretary of the conference, was in- structed to proceed to Washington to remain there temporarily as the gov ernors' representative and "to present to the authorities the seriousness of the situation in the states.'
 Seven States Represented
 Attending the conference were Gov ernors F. o. Lowden of Illinois, James P. Goodrich of Ind. Ina. W. L. Harding of Iowa, Gardner 6 Missouri, Robert son of Oklahoma, A. H. Roberts of Ten nessee, and Attorney General R. J. Hopkins of Kansas, representing Gov ernor Henry J. Allen.
 The state executives were in agree ment that their stat~s faced a serious shortage of coal and that only the ut most conservation of all fuel and the most rigidly supervised distribution would prevent suffering of the people and disaster to industry.
 The governors were unanimous that the fuel administration organization should be perfected to provide more absolute power over mines and dis tribution through states, administrators named by the state executives them selves The sessions were executive and it was not known until late in the afternoon that the conference broke up and issued a. statement,
 Governor Gardner, following the con- ference, said it was the sentiment of the meeting that the governors should use every effort to have the state gov ernmentS meet the coal situation in the commonwealths. It was desired to cooperate with the federal government and until the government had further time to put its plans for increasing production into effect, no further ac- tion by the governors conference would be taken until the meeting one week hence in St. Louis.
 The statement made public an nounced that the conference had unanimously agreed" on the follow ing recommendations:
 Make Many Recommendations.
 That more complete fuel admins tration for the country be perfected by the appointment at once of a fuel administration in each state to be re- commended by the governors, to be compensated by the federal govern ment, and to have full charge and control or all coal available for his state.
 Tn view of the statements by Di- rector General Hines to the effect tha. the production of soft coal Is now 4t to 30 per cent of normal and in view of reports from other sources to thu effect that the production of hard coa , is now above normal. all coal mined and in stock in the United States, botl soft and hard, should be distributed equitably among the 4S states on tn, basis Of their needs as developed dur ing the war, regardless of the stats where mined.
 That rigid and uniform rules ana regulations for the greatest conserva tion of coal throughout the union b. forthwith established, promulgated ant enforced.
 ] That the respective state govern 1 ments take all possible steps to secur, , the production of coal
 r That Miles c. Riley. secretary O the governors conference, be directe, } and delegated to proceed to Washing , ton to present to the authorities tn , seriousness of the situation in thu states and to remain in that city tenn , porarily as g. representative of the gov , ernors.
 7 That the conference of governor i convene again on December 1 in St f Louis for further consideration an, confer upon the coal situation"