Evening star., 1922-07-26
Fuel Priority Order
of /. C.. C.. Aims to
Save Industries.
MAJORITY OF ROADS
TO BE UNAFFECTED
Plenty of Coal and Cars
Problem Is Traffic,
Declares Hoover.

Announcement was made here to-
day BY Charles J. Albasin. secre-
tary Of the Pittsburgh Vein Opera
tors Association, that the associa-
tion now stands ready to enter
conferences with Omcinls of the
United Mine Workers either for
the state of Ohio or for the central
competitive field. with a view to
Terminating the strike.
This is the first definite an
nouncement of this association OF
operators which produce more than
one.third of the entire coal
output In Ohio. that 1t was willing
to enter conferences with the
miners ON this basis. The assO-
ciation employs 10000 Of the Co.
600 engaged in the Industry In this
state.
With its emergency forces mob
ilized to protect the public and the in
dustries of the nation from the dis
astrous possibility of stoppage of in
dustry caused by the coal and rail
strikes. the government today
awaited the results of the coal pri-
ority orders issued yesterday by the
Interstate Commerce Commission.
which became effective at midnight
last night on railroads east of the
Mississippi river. Meanwhile a COM
mission to supervise ALLEGATION and
priority in movement of coal, to be
composed of representatives of the
government and the railroads and
coal operators concerned. which will
also safeguard the public from pro-
flteering In coal, was in process Of
formation. The personnel of the
commission was expected to be an
nounced some time today" Secretary
Hoover said as he left the White
House just before noon.
Gen. w. W. Atterbury. operating
vice president of the Pennsylvania
railroad. and Director General Of Rail-
roads Davis were also at the White
House today, discussing the coal
rail strike situation.
Secretary Hoover explained today
that the priority orders would make
no change In the railway traffic Of
ldESe' ScCtiOuS OI the country oASS VI
the Mississippi. where q crest ma
jority Of the mileage can handle its
own freight effectively. The priorities,
he added, would affect chiefly the rail-
roads which cannot now handle their
trafilc adequately.
Some Aid in Imports.
The difficulty in the present situa-
ton. Mr.. Hoover added. is in the whole
working machine Of the railroads.
There are, he said. thousands Of cars
loaded with coal and thousands Of
empties on the sidings. but the diffi-
Guilty is to get the men to move the
Hoover asserted, were under no great
pressure for the present and should
not feel the pressure for at least
thirty days. Coal imports, he declar-
ed, should help the situation, and a
step in this direction was taken yes
utilities of New York, who, at his sug-
gestion. took UP with the Shipping
Board the matter Of obtaining coal inn
ports for New York utilities.
The order of the Interstate Com
merce Commission directing railroads
after foodstuffs for human consump-
ton and foodstuffs for animals, Is the
first peace time use of the emergency
powers of the commission. It directs
carriers to expedite as fully az possi-
BILE not only movement OF cars loaded
are on their waylto mines to be load
ed, and in this sense affects every
railroad in the east, not only the ma
jor coal-hauling roads, but those
which deliver coal to Industries and
utilities.
Coal Roads Most Affected.
Naturally, however, the roads most
vitality affected will be those which
ruin through the coal regions OF Ken
lucky and West Virginia, among them
the Chesapeake and Ohio, Norfolk and
Western, Louisville and Nashville and
Southern.
The commissions order directs non
coal-loading carriers to deliver daily
empty coal cars up to the maximum
ability of each such non n-coal l-loadinG
carrier and also directs carriers to
discontinue use of coal cars for load
ing sand, gravel or for any other ex-
traneous use fhan hauling of coal.
In the meantime, 1t was reliably re.
ported in ohicial circles. that direct
tween miners and Operators. and the
hope was held out that in some scat
tered districts coal may soon b<
mined in small quantities at least
The West Virginia non-union mines
where production has dropped on
during the past two weeks owing tc
inability to move coal, are expected
to show q great increase In produc.
ton through ability to move coal carl
under the commissions order.
Two Orders Issued.
Two orders. the Associated Presi
reported both based on its declara.
ton that an emergency in transporta.
tion existed, were issued by the com.
mission yesterday. The first directed
railroads all over the United States te
disregard usual or requested routing
OF shipments in favor Of such routing
~ would expedite movement and
avoid congestion, while the secont
established a system of preference
and priorities in shipments over al
railroads east Of the Mississippi. II
the routing orders. applying all ovsl
the United States, the commission re.
quired the roads to disregard exist.
ing contracts and agreements apply.
ing to freight revenue divisions
Both orders were made effectivs
from and after July &C." and wers
based on authority delegated to thu
commission by the transportat ton act
Tho present emergency was decIaret
In order No. ~ to arise because "eacf
OF such carriers, by reason OF un.
favorable labor conditions and short.
age OF fuel supply IL unable to trans.
port the tfk1ac offered n 20 a. q
properly serve the pablic's
The prtorat1es order, No, -, rave
no rea1on Tor the emergency which
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