Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1920-01-08
HOW COAL SUPPLY WAS HANDLED
DURING BIG STRIKE OF MINERS
Uncle Sam Set Up His Coal Pile as Soon as Strike Began ano
Kept Repenishng 1t From Mines Which Continued to work
Nation Able to Last Out the Six Weeks Through
Efficiency of Government Control

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 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-
tons 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 a coal con-
servatiOn measure and because prior to
their issuance local regulations, some
times more stringent than these regu-
7atiOns, 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 heat 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 a prior
arrangement. Immediately notified the
railroad administration and plans were
at once begun to modify restrictions,
with the result that within two days
instructions were issued to regional di-
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 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
ears towards mines which were ex-
Dected 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 un-
Ter the Lever act. There was no preee-
dent to go by. Being bound by no
precedents, it could go ahead in a
commOn-sense way and that is exactly
what it did.
Of wi
sion of purchases of the railroad adj
nifnistration, formerly vice president
Of the Southern railroad. and man
OF long experience in dealing with coal
questions, was 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 all
made, his orders written and every
thing prepared to take charge. There
fore, the evening Of October 3! Dr.
Harry A. Garfield, the fuel adlninistra-
tor, who had rendered his resignation
months before, but whose res; gnation
had not been accepted and whose pow
erS had only been suspended, not an
nulled, was called back into service
and issued an order re-estahlishng
control over the distribution of coal
making the director general of rail
roads his agent. and re-estabishing
the priority orders in effect during thu
war. At the same time, and to pre-
vent profteerng. the fuel administra-
tor issued orders re-eStablshing the
government maximum prices on btu
minous coal. The day the strike began
Mr.. 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.
The 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