The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1922-09-01
ONLY HALF SUPPLY
DICTATORSHIP
GOV. PREUS SAYS THIS IS
SITUATION
OUTLOOK IS ALARMING
Conference Held In st. Paul To-
day; Quantity To Be Re-
ceived At Duluth Cut
Associated Press Dispatch. ]

st. Paul, August 3O.-With pros
poets of only a half supply of coal
to meet the needs of the approach
ing winter, Governor Preus announc-
ed at a conference with coal dock
operators in his offices today that he
will urge the people of the state to
secure fuel up to fifty per cent Of
their needs wherever possible.
The governor described the situa-
ton as alarming" and pointed out
that the maximum amount to be ex-
pected at the Head of the Lakes for
the remainder of the season is 1000
900 tons Ivan Bowen state fuel
administrator, expressed doubt that
even this amount will be received; =
Today's confer 3 ice was called by
Governor Preus to determine means,
he said, of procs ling and distribut-
ing coal and to determine what can
be done to see that fair price is
assured the people of the northwest.
It was pointed out that nothing has
yet been done by the federal admin.
istration to keep the price down.
About Price Fixing.
Relative to price fixing, II. E..
Smith, vice president of the M. A.
Hanna Coal and Dock company, de-
clared that supply and demand can
alone regulate the price" Mr.. Smith
said that there is no question but
what the northwest is going to have
severe shortage, but he predicted
that the price would not be permit
ted to increase because the supply
of coal from this time on VIII be
greater than it has been druing the
summer.
Mr.. Smith charged that the Hoov-
er price set fo- coal at the mines
has injured the interests OF the
northwest. inasmuch as this section
has refused to buy coal unless Of
fered. at the Hoover price. Other
sections he said, have stepped In
and paid a higher price and have
secured the coal He added that the
commencement of production in To-
wa. Montana, Western Canada and
Washington is bound to affect the
price here, as those districts will
not be making demands upon the
same market that the northwest de-
ponds upon.
plan For Distribution.
Ivan Bowen, state fuel administra-
tor. told the operators that a plan
of co operation for distribution Is
necessary immediately so as to as
sure the interstate commerce com
mission that the coal shipped to this
territory under priority number !,
viii go to essential industries and to
them only, in such quantity as is
needed from time to time to meet
their requirements. Otherwise, he
said. the commission may feel that
the coal is not being properly dis
tributed and will revoke the favor
able priority given the northwest:
Mr.cWhite reviewed the situation
before the dock operators and point
ed opI that the 1000, 900 tons a week
will be the, entire lake program for
the remainder of the season and
that this allotment must be divided
among Michigan, Canadian and Up
PEI Prscticaily every coal dock COM
pany in the northwest was repre-
sented at the Conference. In addi-
ton to these representatives, the
committee Of the Northwest Coal
Dock Operators association was
present.
Efforts to reach a price to pc
:his fall and winter failed at the
conference called by Governor Pre-
us with the coal dock operators to-
day. Governor Preus urged that a
set, figure be established and
maintained If possible in order that
the public might know at this time
what it will be required to pay. The
dock operators refused to have any
part in such an agreement, point.
ling out that no one can now tell
what the prices will be.
The Canadian and Micnlgan
ports bidding for lake coal are GER
tain to force up the price, the oper-
ators said. F. H. Heerley, OF the
Pittsburgh and Ashland dock com
pany said that coal may go as high
as 81 a ton at the mines.
r. o. Eastman OF the Pursgiove
Coal and Dock company, declared
that his company was outbid SLID
a ton on two cargoes of coal last
week and consequently lost the
coal to bidders in other sections OF
the country. ..-..-a az:
H. e. Smith Of the M. A. Hanna
Coal and Dock company said that
| he believed there would be no pyr-
amiding of the coal price this year
as in 1920. All of the operators
agreed THAT only the legitimate
charges would be added to the price
they are required to pay at the
mines