Evening star., 1920-07-13
COAL OPERATORS
HOPE TO COMPEL
Of
: !: RAILROAD ACTION
a. su u3nS
viii Request Priority on All
HOpen-Top Cars at Mines
at N, Y. Conference.

+"DraStiC action IN CONNECTION win
the railroads to relieve the fuel short
age" will be suggested by commit
tee representing 2.100 coal operators
at a conference in New York tomor-
row with railway executives.
The conference was arranged today
by Col. D. B. Wentz. president of the
National Coal Association. and Daniel
Willard, president of the railway
executives committee. The commit
tee, which was appointed at yester-
days conference of the operators at
the Washington Hotel, viii leave
Washington tonight The conference
will take place at II o'clock in the
Offices of the American Railway Asso-
ciation at 75 Church street, New
York
What drastic action by the opera
tors will be suggested is problemat- t
fcal. Unofficial opinions ventured by
operators at the Washington Hotel
today were to the effect that the car
riers will be urged to adopt the oper-
ators' Interpretation of the Interstate
Commerce Commissions service or
der No. I, Rating to priority of open
top cars for the mines. This interpre-
tation would place a strict embargo
on the use of all open-top cars except
for carrying coal. 1t would exclude
their use as transportation for auto
mobiles and building materials, which,
it is charged, the railroads have al
lowed.
Put Blame ON Railroads.
The committee which meets the rail
executives tomorrow will cite statis-
tics which. according to the operators,
will show a serious fuel famine ex-
lists in portions of the United States;
that this shortage is due to the car
riers' failure to furnish transportation
for coal, and which, if not remedied
Immediately. will result in closing
down of industries, public utilities
and will cause suffering next winter.
The operators will attempt to pass
the buck" squarely to the railroads.
and if their suggestions are not
adopted will decline to accept any
responsibility for fuel shortage.
While the conference in New York
made by Mr.. Willard last week be-
fore the Interstate Commerce Com
mission that cooperation between
the shippers and the carriers would
tend to relieve so per cent of the
shortage of cars in the United States,
the meeting will decide whether such
cooperation is feasible
The operators state their willing
ness to offer any cooperation posi-
BILE, but claim at the same time that
the shortage of cars for coal is due
to evasion by the carriers of orders
already issued by the Interstate Com
merce Commission. While the coal
men are clamoring for cars. their ap-
peals are characteristic of those
which railroads have received from
nearly every industry.
The carriers are up against" the
problem Of pleasing all shippers, each
OF them claiming his particular pro-
duct should have the right of priority.
Ready for Drastic Action.
In a statement issued today regard
ing the forthcoming conference in
New York, Col. Wentz said:
s'T told Mr.. Willard that the commit
tee of seven appointed by the btu
rninous coal operators of the United
States, at their conference yesterday,
il ready to meet with his committee
Of railroad presidents in New York to-
morrow. Mr.. Willard said that the
railroad presidents will meet the
committee of operators.
II told Mr.. Willard that the commit
toe of operators has the authority to
4ct for the bftuminous operators of
the United States. and is prepared to
cake definite and drastic action in con-
aection with the railroads to relieve
the fuel shortage primarily in such
parts OF the country where it is most
serious and in a general way for the
Country at large.
-. AhO oPCidtoiS committee IS meet
ing this morning. comforting with
those shippers Of bituminous coal who
have contracted for coal for move
ment to the docks at the head of the
great lakes and other lake terri
tory. and for coal to the New England
states. Those contracts cover the
shipment Of sufficient coal to meet
the requirements of the northwest
Mines ON Half Time.
Interviews with operators who
have contracts for shipment of coal
to the great lakes and to New Eng
land, have in every instance devel-
oped that the operators are anxious
to ship the coal they have sold under
contract, but because they have been
unable to obtain cars in which to
make shipments their mines have not
been running one-half time.
These interviews confirm figures
published by the United States geo
logical survey that unquestionably the
existing coal shortage in the United
States is entirely due to the failure
on the part of the railroads to provide
cars for it's movement.
THE operators committee is also
giving attention to the emergency re-
quirements of New York. Philadelphia
and other large eastern cities whose
fuel supply for public utilities is said
to be critical
Definite Plan of Relief.
"As a result of conferences with op-
orators who have contracts Tor the
supply of bituminous coal to those
rsarts of the country which are most
Seriously affected by the present
ahortage, the committee VIII be in
position to present to the railroad ex-
ecutives at the joint meeting a car
supply plan which Will give prompt
and permanent relief -,
rTbe Operators committee will meet
.g.in this afternoon at the Washing
ton Hotel.
su1pe.ted Solutions Rejected
r.wo nroposals for solving the coal
uroblem were rejected yesterday ar
~ having been suggested by the com
mittee named at the general CONFER
ence in the morning. Es.aptts tha 'is,aIa.s nsIas
NJ a zone system. restricting the sales
tarritory of the operators with we"
of shortening car mileage. was pan
doned after the operators pointed out
mat such a measure woulo iedu "
the breaking of contracts
T,a other suggestion. for a division
- TIE coal supply for the northwest
smon9 mines in Ohio, western Penn
avIyania, West Virginia. liilnois ana
indiana. also was rejected after the
meeting had been informed that con-
tracts already have been made Tor all
~ the northwest's supply.
Tt was understood that the operat-
ora were considering the advisability
of another government fuel admlnls-
fration. Informally. however. the op-
orators oppose such measure upon
several grounds. chief among which
a. that the organization could not be
xaa6a 70 function in less than ninety
days from the time of it's creation.
COAL OPERATORS VOTE
IN FAVOR OF STATE MEET
Plans for a first aid meet, in which