The Sun and the New York herald., 1920-07-30
FOUR ROADS ORDER
EMBARGO ON COAL
Railways Entering Chicago
Act to Accumulate a Weeks
Normal Supply.

Special to TIE Bun AND NEW YoRK HHnALn
CHICAGO, July 20. With apparently
no progress toward settlement OF the
wage conferences between miners and
operators, Federal action In the haIy
distance and a smaller coal supply
coming from tho mines, tho shortage
IL the Chicago district became 80 acute
to-day that four Of the largest railroads
with headquarters in Chicago laid an
embargo on all deliveries except steam
coal in the central districts.
Tho coal thus "connscated" by the
roads Is being held In reserve until a
weeks emergency supply can be built
UP. The roads taking this action are
the IllinoiB Central Chicago and East
ern Illinois, Chicago, Milwaukee and 81,
Paul and Chicago. Burlington and
Quincy.
The Chicago and Northwestern Rail-
road. according TO the coal trnfilc man.
ayers ofice, Is making all deliveries as
usual
"All grades OF the larger lump coal
are being held up by our road" said
J. p. Roe. coal traffic manager OF the
Illinois Central. ut Is a precautionary
measure The reserve stocks on most
Of the roads. understand, are so low
there Is less than a weeks supply on
hand. Such a shortage is dangerous.
AS soon as the stocks are built up to
this minimum and receipts from the
mines meet our needs tho coal will be
released and deliveries made as usual"
Coal in dealers yards In Chicago ID q
sixth to a seventh OF the normal supply.
W. II. Leland, vice-president Of the Con-
clared that II nothing is done to improve
the constantly diminishing receipts Chi
cago will be going on a vacation" next
week.
The normal supply in Chicago at this
time OF year is around 800, 900 to 700.0 900
TONS" Mr.. Leland said. These figures
coal on hand in the yards OF Chicago to-
day is not more than 1901 tons"
The embargo ruling will paralyEe the
domestic coal trade until normal condi-
tlons are restored, as the already dimin-
ishing stocks have reached the point
where the city has only one-seventh Of
its normal coal supply for this season Of
the year
Attempts made earlier in the day to
get the striking miners to return to
anu IIllUcS IdllcQ,
The meeting between the wage scale
committee of the mine operators and the
representatives OF the striking miners
which was to have taken place at the
Great Northern Hotel proved a fizzle.
Thomas T. Brewster. chairman of the
operators wage committee. called an
other meeting to take place here to-
morrow, but nothing was said about
inviting the mine union heads to at
tend.
Washington. to which union men, op-
orators and State officials have been
looking hopefully for some sort OF ac-
ton during the last two weeks remained
silent and unmoved. Until Washington
Is aroused to action those In close
touch with the situation doubt II any
great amount OF relief can be obtained.
At the Great Northern Hotel, where
operators from all over the central
West were to assemble to consider the
request Of John L. Lewis, international
president OF the United Mine Workers
Of America. for a joint parley of op-
orators and workers representatives to
deal with the strike. only a handful Of
Indiana operators put In an appear
ance. Lewis was absent and no trace
of operators from other States could be
found.