The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1920-02-02
HOW COAL SUPPLY WAS HANDLED
DURING BIG Strike OF MINERS
Uncle Sam Set Up His Own Coal Pile as Soon Strike Began and
Kept Repenshing It From Mines Which Continued to Work
Nation Able to Last Out the Six Weeks Through
Efficiency Of Government Control

necessary to depend practically en-
tirely upon the coal produced in the
East The amount which could be
shipped West was limited, not by car
supply, but by transportation facilities
and the necessity for moving tnis
coal West was one of the reasons for
the curtallment Of passenger service
in all parts OF the country, which nat
urally led to some hardships and some
complaints.
With regard to these complaints,
careful survey shows that, taken as
II whole, the country has stood re-
markably well the restrictions which
had TO be placed.
Restrictions Enforced.
The action of the government dur
Ing the strike which caused the great
est comment was the placing Of restric-
tions in connection with the use of biz
luminous coal and coke in supplying
light heat and power to stores, office
buildings, manufacturing establish.
ments etc. These regulations were
put into effect by the railroad admin
istratIon on the advice Of the central
coal committee and under authority of
the fuel administrator. They were put
into effect primarily as q coal CON
seryation measure and because prior to
their issuance local regulations. some
times more stringent than these regu-
lations, had already been laid down
IN many sections of the country. Prior
10 the issuance of these regulations
the fuel administrator had issued Il re-
quest that coal for light, heat and
power he conserved as much as pos
sible. Just as soon as the Indian
npolis settlement was reached the at
torney general, following out prior
arrangement, Immediately notified the
railroad administration. and plans were
1T once begun TO modify restrictions,
with the result that within two days
after the strike was formally ended.
instructions were issued to regional dl-
rectors permitting them to remove the
restrictions as TO the furnishing of
light. heat and power, and also permit
ting them to restore passenger trains
which had been taken off as a coal con,
servatIon measures
The receipt Of the word from In
dlanapois was also the signal for
the releasing OF instructions already
prepared FOR the turning of empty coal
cars towards mines which were ex-
pected TO begin operation In order TO
transport the maximum production of
all such mines at once.
Control Of Distribution.
Probably there was never a more
unique organization ever set up In
the United States than the central coal
committee OF the United States rail-
road administration at Washington,
which throughout the strike had com
plete control over the distribution of
coal mined and over supplies of coal
in storage and on wheels on the rail-
roads when the miners stopped work.
The committee had back of it all the
power OF the fuel administration uu-
der the Lever act There was no prece-
dent TO 20 by. Being bound by no
preeedents, it could 90 ahead in
common-sense way and that is exactly
what it did.
Harry b. Spencer, director of diyi-
sion of purchases of the railroad adj
ninistration, formerly vice president
Of the Southern railroad. and n man
of long experience in dealing with coal
questions, wns given the unenviable
job Of handling the situation as chair
man OF the central coal committee. BE.
fore the strike actually began, he had
his assistants all picked, his plans MI
made, his orders written and every
thing prepared TO take charge There
fore, the evening OF October 81 DR..
Harry A. Garfield, the fuel administra
tor, who had rendered his resignation
months before, but whose resignation
had not been accepted and whose pow
ers had only been suspended. not am
nuled was called back into service
and issued an order re.establlshing
control over the distribution of coal.
making the director general of rail-
roads his agent, and re-establishing
the priority orders In effect during the
war. at the same time and to pre-
vent prohteerlng the fuel administra
tor issued orders re-establlshlng the
government maximum prices on btu
minous coal. The day the strike began
MIR. Spencer put his organization into
effect throughout the country. and
from then on the problem was one
OF distributing coal and looking after
the constantly decreasing stock of the
country.
On the Job Every Day.
rhe committee remained in practi-
cally continuous session every day of
the strike, including Sundays, and as
rapidly as kilograms and letters came
in, took immediate action.
Back of this committee and cooper
atng closely with it have been re-
gional and district local coal com
mitlees. picked in advance of the
strike and established Immediately
after the strike began. On these re-
gional and local coal committees has
fallen a very large share OF the bur-
den Of handling the coal distribution
problems from day to day, and 1t is TO
the credit OF these committees that
they have had a minimum Of clashes