The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1922-08-11
FEDERAL CONTROL
MINES IS URGED
STRIKE SOLUTION VISION
SIN GOVERNOR
ST. PAUL CONFERENCE
Northwest Executives Discuss
ing Coal Shortage Through
out Their Territory
ASSOCIATED Press Dispatch. ]

ure and operation of the all the
mines necessary to furnish supply
of coal to the country was declared
TO be the only solution of the pres
ent coal shortage by Governor
Blaine of Wisconsin at the opening
of the conference of northwest gov
errors on the coal situation here
today.
Governors or their representa-
tives from seven northwest states
attended the conference which was
called by Governor J. A. o. Preus
of Minnesota for the purpose OF
discussing methods of meeting the
coal emergency in the northwest.
Governor Blaine declared the
situation in Wisconsin is practically
the same as in Minnesota with hun
dreds- of industries threatened with
idleness because of lack of fuel.
The situation has reached a state,
he declared, where the domestic
life of the state is also threatened
as dealers are unable to fill orders
for fuel in the homes.
Must Protect Industries
I'VE cannot sit idly by and see
our industries and our homes go
without fuel because the operators
and miners are unable to reach a
settlement in wage dispute, y
Governor Blaine declared. THE
state is powerless to act. We have
no power to contract privately with
any mines TO supply US coal, what
ever price we might be willing to
pay; 1t is the federal governments
problem and they must settle 1t to
satisfy the demands of all the peo-
pie, and not merely the demands Of
those actively engaged in mining"
Governor Blaine's party included
Edward Nordman, director Of mar
kcts of Wisconsin. Mr.. Nordman
declared that he is not authorized
to give out figures on the supply of
coal on hand in Wisconsin, as a
policy has been adopted there to
withhold this information because OF
the tendency of some industries to
hog" all available fuel.
1t was announced that Governor
McMasters of South Dakota would
be late in reaching the conference
because of a, delayed train.
South Dakota Situation.
Governor McMasters of South
Dakota. who arrived at the confer
ence shortly before noon, said the
situation in that state is more
startling than it appeared few
days ago when he conferred with
Governor Preus. A survey of South
Dakota coal dealers, he said, shows
that they are virtually without
coal.
1--WE will join in any movement
that is agreed upon by this confer
enee," Governor McMasters said.
The people in South Dakota do
rot fully realize the seriousness OF
the situation and l hope that this
conference will bring home to them
the two conditions of the coal mar
ket"
Telegram From Spencer.
Governor Preus presented tele
gram from H. B. Spencer, federal
fuel administrator, saying that the
proposed shipment of all rail coal
from the non union fields to the re-
Gently organized northwestern rail
coal association could not be ap-
proved by the federal administra-
ton This decision will eliminate
the possibility of the northwest re-
ceiving $4,000 tons a week by all;
rail shipment as the association had
planned.
Governor Nestos of North Dakota
declared before the opening of the
conference that tlle use of North
Dakota Ignite coal would aid great
ly in meeting the shortage of the
Northwest He pointed out that
North Dakota would be able to ship
into Minnesota fifty cars of this
coal a day, if sufficient labor could
be obtained to mine the coal. He
said he will ask Minnesota officials
to aid in sending the needed labor
into North Dakota.
The States Represented.
Besides Minnesota and Wiscon-
sin, the state represented were
North and South Dakota, Montana,
Michigan and Iowa. The confer
ence was called by Governor Preus,
who declared the situation called
Governor Preus told the confer.
ence that railroads serving the non
union coal mines and Lake Erie
ports have improved their service
and he believes a recommendation
that the federal government operate
these roads might we'll be postpon-
ed for few Gays, pending further
developments"
The Minnesota executive said he
had received a telegram from H. B.
Spencer, federal fuel administra-
tor, declaring the railroads have
greatly improved their service in
the past few days, and that the
dumpings of coal at Lake Erie ports
soon would materially increase.
Governor Preus charged that
some of the operators and dealers
are taking advantage of the present
very critical situation by gouging
Se pockets of the northwest. This
I believe can be stopped in only one
way, namely for the federal govern
ment to see that no cars are loaded
nth coal for which the operators
are asking a price in excess of tina,
which Mr.. Hoover declared to be
justified"