Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1920-01-13
Uncle Sam Sci Up His Own Coal Pile Soon Strike Began and
Kept Repenishing 1t From Mines Which Continued to Work
Nation Able to Last Out the Six Weeks Through
Efficiency of Government Control
weeks of the strike from 22Oo0.oOU
tons to 11.375.000 tons.

weeks of the strike from 22,O00.OOU
tons to 11.375.00O tons.
Pile Saved Country.
At times during the strike some CON-
plants were made regarding the hold
ing of this coal in storage and on
wheels by the railroads. Without such
storage, however, the country would
have suffered much more than it did
and it would have been impossible to
have looked after the emergency re-
quirements of the parts of the country
in greatest need. Throughout the
strike practically all of the coal moved
was produced in West Virginia and
Pennsylvania, although some coal was
produced in Kentucky, Alabama and
Wyoming and few other states. The
great central competitive fields, how
ever, closed down completely and out
side of the stocks on hand the people
in that territory had to depend entirely
on the coal from the East and upon
the coal in the hands of the railroads
to meet just this emergency.
At the beginning Of the strike coal
was delivered freely to all of the ten
classes on the fuel administrators pri-
ority list, but soon afterward 1t was
necessary to restrict deliveries to the
first five classes, which included rail-
roads, army and navy. together with
other departments of the government,
state and county departments and in
situations, public utilities, and retail
dealers, and toward the end of the
strike it was difficult in some parts of
the country to meet even these re-
quirements, due to the fact that princi-
pally in the middle West the stocks
became almost exhausted and it was
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 this
coal West was one of the reasons for
the curtailment Of passenger service
in all parts of the country, which nat
urally led to some hardships and some
complaints.
With regard to these complaints, a
careful survey shows that, taken as
a whole, the country has stood re-
markably well the restrictions which
had to be placed.
The action of the government dur
ing the strike which caused the great
est comment was the placing of restric-
tons in connection with the use of hi
luminous coal and coke in supplying
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 coal con-
servation 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
to the issuance of these regulations
the fuel administrator had issued re-
quest that coal for light, neat and
power be conserved as much as pos
sible. Just as soon as the Indian
apolis settlement was reached the at
torney general, following out prior
arrangement. Immediately notified the
railroad administration, and plans were
at once begun to modify restrictions,
with the result that within two days
after the strike was formally ended
instructions were issued to regional di-
rectors permitting them to remove the
restrictions as 20 the furnishing of
light, heat and power, and also permit
/ ting them to restore passenger trains
which had been taken off as coal con-
servatiOn measure.
! The receipt of the word from In
dianapolis 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.