The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1922-08-09
|, c. c. DECLARES
EMERGENCY TO EXIST
Priority Orders Issued and Fed
eraI Emergency Coal Con-
troll in Operation.

Washington, Aug. 8. Modified
to meet the crisis of a nationwide
fuel shortage, federal agencies, pro-
ducing operators and railroad traffic
experts awaited tonight the word
from President Harding to set. in
motion the administration machine
for emergency coal control.
The Interstate Commerce com
mission declared an emergency ex'
listed on roads east of the Mis-
sissippi river. This formal announce
ment of the carriers inability to
serve the public in the transporta.
ton of necessities opened the way
for the distribution of coal under
the plan unanimously adopted by
representatives of the producing
fields, in conference with Secretary
Hoover.
The directing agent of the en-
Urgency machine presidential
committee chosen from the Inter
state Commerce commission, the dc
partments of commerce, justice ant
interior with Secretary Hoover a.
chairman-will be named by PreEi
dent Harding tomorrow, accordini
to administration officials. This com
mittee, with the aid of an admins
tration committee of operators, rail
road traffic experts and probabl!
representatives of public utilities
will direct the activities of loca
committees of operators in main
tanning fair prices and in distribut
ing fuel to the carriers and othe
public utilities in the order of pre-
ference established by the Interstat
Commerce commission as best suite
to serve the needs of the genera
public.
Two Orders Issued
Two orders were also issued b
the commission. The first directe
railroads all over the United State
to disregard usual or question:
routing of shipments in favor, Q
such routing as would expedit
movement and avoid congestion
while the second established a syS
tenn of preference and pariorities /
Shipments over all roads east of tn
Mississippi.
I Though the preference system
sketched in the second mandate, ei
titled Service Order Number 2;
said that priority should be give
in the movement of food, livestocl
perishable products, and coal an
other fuels, all of its details wer
devoted to facilitating the govern
ment plan for distributing coal.
Railroads were directed to suppl
coal cars to mines for such specli
purposes as may from time to tim
be designated by the compah
or its agents" therefore, the agei
mentioned being the presidents
committee which will direct Coz
distribution. These special neec
having been cared for, carriers wei
directed to use all equipment fC
transporting fuel, first, to railroad
and other common carriers; secoh'
to public utilities. street railway
power, light, gas, waterworks' Il
plants and hospitals; third, to go'
eminent, local. state and feder;
bodies; and fourth, this applyin
only to coal carriers reaching Ken
lucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Penn
sylvania, Ohio and West virgins
for shipments via Lake Erie ports
Lake Superior ports. Domestic flu
coal generally was given the ne'
place in the preference list.
Prevented From Diverting
: Railways were forbidden to dive
or recognize shipments except
they might be needed for superb
use under the order or c!assincatlO
set forth. They were further r.
quired to discontinue use of cal
suitable for coal shipments in AN
other trafic and railroads not SER
ing mines were required to begi
daily deliveries of suitable coal cal
to coal carriers.
The order giving priority for foe
and other shipments was qualihe
by clause stating that such prefe
ence should be shown by a carrie
only "to the extent that 1t is to
unable to transport all freight trait
offered 1t for movement
In the routing orders applyill