The New York herald., 1922-08-26
WEST VIRGINIA COAL
TO MEET NEED HERE
State Fuel Administration to
Apportion the Emergency
Shipments.
MAINE WILL GET RELIEF
vUocy,s,S 49, A. TcJxo~ -
MAINE WILL GET RELIEF
Washington Also Takes Ac.
tion to Keep Great Lakes
Region Supplied.

Special Dispatch TO THE NEw YonK HnaALp.
New York Herald Bureau.
Washington, ID. c.. Aug. rs.
Emergency needs of soft coal con-
sumers in New York State will be met
by new authorizations for shipment Of
considerable tonnage from the mines
of the Bluefields district OF West vir-
ginia, Fuel Distributor Spencer an
nounced tonight.
New bituminous shipments destined
for New Yorie will be apportioned by
the State Fuel Administration, accord
ing to the actual requirements Of in
iustrai consumers. The coal will move
TO tidewater at Hampton Roads for
movement by water and rail to New
York.
Mr.. Spencer also issued emergency
orders for supplies OF coal for many
other States. including Indiana, Michi-
gan, Illinois, Virginia and Ohio. Such
supplies were said to be badly needed
for gas and electric light companies
and ice plants.
New England's coal needs also were
cared for in an order issued at the re-
quest of Gov. Baxter Of Maine for a
large tonnage of coal from southern
West Virginia to alleviate q critical
shortage
Special steps were taken to insure a
steady movement Of bituminous to the
great lakes region before the close OF
navigation. The tonnage OF coal now
at the head OF the lakes is considerably
lower than stocks normally on hand
there at this time of the year.
Mr.. Spencer said that program to
facilitate the movement Of the great
lakes tonnage would be announced
shortly. Despite the increased produc-
tion from newly opened mines, authori-
ties declare there may be great diff
ficulty in transporting the required ship.
ments because Of traffic delays.
Secretary Hoover and others handling
the coal problem for the Government
feared to-day that shortage OF coal
cars and motive power might seriously
interfere with the movement OF the
larger production noted since the
bituminous strike settlement.
On practically all Of the coal carrying
roads. reports indicated that thousands
of carloads Of coal are stalled in traf-
fic jams, principally at junction points.
because sufficient motive power Is not
available to move the shipments to
destination or to connecting lines
Officials declared that continuance of
the shopmen's strike may aggravate this
phase of the situation and result in
failure OF the railroads to handle the
much larger percentage OF coal which
the country coon Will demand.
The coal situation, il was said. may
soon become acute because or car
scarcity. Reports to the Fuel Distributor
showed that retailers and wholesalers
all over the country are piled up with
orders for future delivery. Delivery of
a great volume of the winter coal sup
plies will be demanded at time when
the railroads normally are called upon
to transport their peak" loads OF other
classes OF commodities.
At the present time the railroads are
finding 1t difficult to move about only
half of the normal output of the
bituminous mines. Production this week
was estimated to-day by officials of the
Geological Survey at 100000 tons.
That estimate will not be increased ap-
preciably by coal which may be mined
in the districts OF Missouri. Kansas,
Arkansas and Oklahoma