Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-12-06
GOVERNMENT
MUSTSETTlE
.FORITSCOAL
Mines Now Operating
Threatened BY Price
Disagreement.

Washington, Dec. e.-All bitum-
inous coal mines now in operation
must close within . week unless
the railroad administrator pays
for the coal It has conhscated or
said statement today by
the American Wholesale Coal as
sociation. :.
The association said the railroad
administration had refused to pay
tor the coal until q price It consid-
cred lair had been fixed by Fuel
Administrator Garfield, and that
DR.. Garfield had refused to change
his price ruling.
b Ssle Supply.
Mines which will be affected, the
statement says. are producing now
A00, 900 tons Of coal Per week. the
solo supply for the nation in the
present crisis.
"If the mines are to continue to
produce coal they must have mon
ey to meet their pay rolls" said
the statement. 'The railroad ad-
ministration il taking 60 per cent
OF this coal. It has paid for no
conhscated or diverted coal for 90
days and refuses to pay until .
price which It considers fair is hx-
ed by Dr.. Garfield. DR.. Garfield has
refused to change his price rulings.
So long ~ this deadlock continues.
coal mines can get no money Tor
coal which has been mined ana
shipped"
Cat Trains Eyefywhefe.
Chicago, III, Dec. =. Dfastlc
'cuftaalment OF passenger train ser
vice throughout the country, the
EASTERN and southern regional al
rectofs taking virtually the eame
action - that two days ago by the
|een1s1a 1egfrell ~
rector. had Deem orasred q
q NIL ouesefv1elo4 measure.
4 AZ tho strike q niteminous coal
miners. entered its sixtn Week. op-
ttmism operators ana luei adminis.
tfatfon workers were said % feel
was not reflected IN actual favor-
able developments reported HON
tine coal nelds.
Extend Restrictions. !.
Additional industries today were
closed down or had given notice
that operation would be suspended
after today, while the coal saving
lorders that already had put Chica.
70 on q elk hour basis business
day and affected other cities Of thu
central west, north and southwest
ito q lesser degree, were extended
Ito other places. At Chicago Z
e-hour day beginning Monday, wa
I fdecreed and indicated that q few
days continuance of the miners
twalkout would force a 4-hour day
Few Going Rack.
l Only in isolated Instances and II
small groups were miners report
Tito be resuming prodaction.
Production of coal at the Kansal
"Trip pits by volunteer workers, In
creased, however. and plans wer'
advanced for similar work in Mis-
souri,, Oklahoma and Arkansas.
wfth moderation Of the unsea
sonahly low temperatures that pro
4 vailed over most Of the countr!
west Of the Mississippi river TO
several days, urgency Of pleas to
coai apparently had diminished to
iday. Many small cities and town
in Nebraska, Montana and west
lern Kansas still were virtuall,
without coal, however, and substi
ltutes were at premium.
i GoveFnefs Do Net Meet
The conference OF governors Q
| 10 states called for st. Louis Sun
day, today had been POSTPONED in
definitely. Governor Frederick I
Gardner Of Missouri, who called 4
) announced that the meeting w0ul
mot be held until the federal fue
| administrator acted on resolution
the governors adopted . week ag
requesting more liberal distribu
tion Of fuel in the middle west an
that = fuel director for each stat
|, be named.
:Detrsit Near End.
Detroit, Mich, Dec, e.-Unlea
there Is an Immediate bettermer
lin the fuel situation upwards Of
, quarter Of q million workers