Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-08-17

| and appointed Mr.. Andrew P. Lane
! OF Millinocket as Director. The State
! is not going into the fuel business
and a plan has been evolved whereby
the credit of the State is not pledged
| in any way. The Fuel Administra-
ton Of the State takes the cars of
( coal at the mouth of the mines and
sees that they are brought to the State
and there distributed according to
certain rules Of priority 1t is a CO.
lossal undertaking in the opinion of
the Governor to provide fuel for
Maine people and industries but
somebody had to do it and so he took
the burden himself. He stated that
, he expected coal dealers in the State
! to cooperate with him and to dis
! tribute such coal as could be obtained
| for Maine.
! The Governor said that Maine
, would be fortunate if it obtained
! enough soft coal to carry on its rail-
roads. provide for its householders
the present outlook the Industries
| would have to obtain a large part of
their coal from Canadian sources or
! from the British Isles Maine people
/ wherever possible must use wood for
fuel during the coming winter and
! must foreso the convenience Of using
| either hard or soft coal because there
was not going 10 be enough TO go
around. He stated that every effort
must he made to induce the people of
/ the wooded sections of the State to
cut wood not only for themselves but
| for their nelghbors in the cities and
| towns otherwise there would be real
| suffering in Maine before next spring
! He made a plea that those who could
/ buy soft coal refrain from doing so
! Until absolutely necessary and use as
much wood as possible for every ton
was SO needed to keep the fires in
our factories and mills burning so
/ that our citizens would not be thrown
! out of employment. Three and one
! half million tons of soft coal are be-
/ ing mined east of the Mississippi
! River and every pound of this will be
required TO run the railroads and
! keep the public institutions i'll this
section of the country. The outlook
! is disturbing and the Governor real
! ICES that many perpleXlng questions
! will he brought to him during the
! next few months. He said that his
! work as Fuel Administrator would
1 take as much if not more time than
| his work as Governor and he did not
| quite see how he could get through
| each days work but was going to do
| his best. He declared that he would
| use every honorable effort To obtain
coal for Names householders and in
! dustries and that he and Mr. Lane
would work untiringly to this end.
| Governor Baxter said that he
wanted the people to be patient in
this matter and 10 give him credit for
! doing everything he could but that
40 hard coal was being mined and
that it WaNabsolutely impossible to
! obtain any. He was going to center
| his efforts upon working out the fuel
! problem in the terms of soft coal and
| wood.
AS to prafiteers, Governor Baxter
said that the Fuel Administration
would check up every increase in
price but that he relied upon the
public spirit and fair mindedness of
Maine dealers and believes that Il
vast ma JOlllS OF them VIII REFRAIN
from taking any advantage of the
necessities of their fellow citizens.
The Governor said he wanted the
coal to pass through the regular
channels and the State Administra-
ton did not intend to handle any
money but was simply acting as a
medium through which the coal could
come into Maine and be distributed
according TO the requirements of the
United States Fuel Administrator,
Secretary Hoover. The Governor eX-
pressed shimself as particularly in
terested in the householder whose
fuel requirements are small and who
il, obliged TO figure every dollar of eX-
penSe and for this reason he urged
dealers to be ConSiderate of the rights
especially of this class of people. II
the strike was settled Immediately We
would still be in critical condition
and might as we'll accept the inevita-
BILE and prepare for season of wood
chopping and wood burning in every
town and village i'll the state. Frost
was only thirty days away and when
the first cold night comes the people
of Maine will be aroused to what is
ahead of them. We must keep level
headed in this crisis.