The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1920-01-27
TAKEN TO
MEET SHORTAGE
OF COAL SUPPLY
nv Associated Press to The HannerI


WASHINGTON, Jan. 26-Steps TAX
en- by the Government to meet the
coal shortage arising from the recent
coal strike and the results obtained
were outlined in the report of H. b.
Spencer chairman of the Central
Coal Committee of the Railroad Ad-
ministration to Director General of
Railroads Walker d. Hines. The Gen.
trail Coal Committee had full charge
of the distribution of bituminous coal
during the strike situation; by order
of United States Fuel Administrator
Harry A. Garfield it was vested with
the full powers of the Fuel Admi-is-
tration under the Lever Food and
Fuel Control Act and executive or
ders of the President for the control
and distribution of coal.
In giving out the report Director
General Hines made the following
statement:
"In making public the report of the
Central Coal Committee of the Rail-
road Administration, wish to express
my appreciation of the faithful work
which was done by the Central Coal
Committee, the regional coal commit
tees, and the yarions local coal COM
mittees."
Summarizing the results of the
Committees work during the strike
period, the report said:
"rhe available coal was so distrib-
uted during the period of the strike
that the emergency needs of all es-
sential consumers were amply pro-
vided for.'
The report set forth that railroad
fuel supply on hand varied from II
days supply in the New England Re-
gion to days supply in the Poca-
hontas Region.
Throughout the strike there was
practically no production in the large
producing field known as the central
competitive district, including western
Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and H.
linois. Consumers in that part of the
country having relied on their proX-
unity to the mines insuring their reg
ular supply, had generally very small
reserve stocks, which in many in
stances were soon exhausted, A SIM
| liar situation existed In the middle
west, particularly in Iowa. Nebraska,
Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma.
The report described the movement
of large quantities of coal from the
Pocahontas and Allegheny Regions to
Memphis, ST. Louis, Chicago and
points farther west, which developed,
until by the termination of the strike,
approximately 1000 cars of coal per
day, about 40 percent of the total
output of the Pocahontas and ALE
gheny Regions, were being moved In
his way from extreme east to extreme
west Ohio and Indiana were also sup
piled from the Allegheny and Paca
hontas Regions by rail, the move
iiSheo iNuNu'H6 ~ tceoi va Af"hN >"'s
per day The large stocks on hand
in New England permitted the limita
tion of shipments to New England to
the movement through Pocahontas
and Allegheny district tidewatel
ports.
The Southwestern Region was sup
piled with 1907 cars from the Poca
: hontas Region by way of Memphis
and st. Louis during the strike per
iod. A shortage of bunker coal al
Gulf ports and the need for railroad
fuel there led to the shipment of Pc
cahontas coal by tidewater fror
, Hampton Roads to Galveston, fo
which movement the United States
Shipping Board furnished tonnage.
The Central Western Region requ
sitioned 2l076 cars of eastern cot
during the strike period, and tn
|, Northwestern Region received 'du
5 ing the emergency 22.4lS cars of eas
$ ern coal, Coal stocks in the upp'
like docks, the report said, were con
fined practically to the normal lal'
y dock consumers. Canada, accordin