The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-07-25
Car Shortage and Coal Short
age Hike Prices in Chicago.
New York Can't Even Get Coal
at Any Price, Report.
STRIKE WON'T SPREAD-BUT
Present Tieups Sufficient to
Cause a Serious Crisis.
Wisconsin Would Have No Rail
Service in Two Weeks.

Washington, July 25.-The in
terstate commerce commission
today declared that an emer-
gency existed in transportation
in territory east of the Mis-
sissippi river, which required it
to direct routing of shipments
of all essential commodities and
to fix preference and priority
for the movement of food, per-
ishable products, coal and other
fuel and live stock.
Priority to coal shipments under the
orders will be furnished, it is under
stood, first to railroads and then in
the order named to public utilities, ice
plants manufactu ice for public
consumption and refrigeration plants
for the preservation of food stuffs.
The commission declared that in
view of the emergency cars for the
shipment of coal should be assigned
to railroads on the basis of preference
in coal shipments TO the railroads and
other common carriers with public
utilities, and hospitals, in a second
class and government institutions, ma
tional, state and local, in third class
Coal operators after a conference
this afternoon agreed to abide by the
priority decisions
CBy the Associated Press.l
Chicago, July 25.-The railway
strike, combined with the coal strike,
was being brought home to the public
today thru the announcements OF
leaders in several industries that un-
less a speedy settlement was reached
closing of the plants with resulting
unemployment. rationing of fuel and
food supplies and a Gripping of public
utilities service would result.
Steel Plants Face Shutdown.
Steel plants. especially in the east.
will be closed on a wholesale scale if
present conditions continue until Au-
gust, according to the head of a large
steel corporation Industrial coal was
said to be unobtainable in New York.
In Chicago increases of from $5.25 to
$15-25 a ton in coal prices were an
nounced.
A shortage of coal cars in bitumin-
Gus fields has caused an appreciable
decline in production.
The close relationship which the
strikes were assuming was seen in the
statement of H. B. Trumbower Of the
Wisconsin railroad commission that II
the coal strike lasted an additional
two weeks rail transportation in that
state would be at a standstill.
But 1t Seems FOrlorn Hope.
Hopes for immediate peace were
centered in the meeting of officials OF
representatives of the strikers.
Further spread of the Nwalkout was
considered unlikely since the an
nouncement that the 10000 members
OF the station agents union would re-
main at work, made by W. ]. Noone,
head of the union. after a conference
with w. l. McMenimen, labor member
OF the rail board.
Members of the local union of fire
men at Evansville, Ind, yesterday
adopted resolution recopnm ending a
strike unless armed guards were re-
moved from the entire Louisville &
Nashville system.
Sugar Limited I'm Chicago.
Existing embargoes on freight have
caused a shortage of commodities in
several cities. In Chicago a leading
chain grocery firm yesterday an
nounced the sale of sugar would be
limited to ten pounds to a customer
Curtailment of train service con-
tinued- At Chicago, the Grand Trunk
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