The New York herald., 1922-08-24
GOVERNOR CONFERS
ON COAL SHORTAGE
Miller, Planning Message to
Legislature, Sees Harkness
and Church.
JAIL FOR GOUGERS URGED
Caulfield Says Prison Only
Will Halt Profiteers in
Fuel Shortage.

Fact finding for enlightenment of the
special session OF the Legislature In
Albany Monday is occupying State and
local fuel authorities. With the situa-
tion made grave overnight by the an
lief measures walt and depend upon
action at Albany. according to local ad-
ministrative circles yesterday.
Gov. Miller conferred there yesterday
with lie Roy r. Hardness, Transit Com
missioner. and Major Elihu c. Church
of the Port Of New York Authority on
proper legislative treatment Of local
coal problems.
Fuel for the householder" Is believed
to be the primary appeal in his mes
sage to the Legislature expected the
end OF the week.
Suspend smoke Ordinances.
Meanwhile legislative recommends
tions Of the state conference OF Mayors
are being put In shape by the bill draft
ing department In the Capitol for pres
entation to the legislators. Suspen-
sion of smoke ordinances in Ave cities.
Yonkers being one. Is already under
way. W.-P. Capes, conference secretary,
reported
Proposals that the State authorize
New York city 20 initiate $4,000. 900
bus program as a reserve against re-
duction in subway service, and increase
its special revenue bond limit from
s., 900. 900 to s., ,000, 900 to-provide funds
for purchase Of coal in the open market
during emergency are to be considered
by the Board OF Estimate to-day.
Application of the B. r. T. TO cut nom
rush hour service 10 per cent. because
of coal shortage was denied by the
Transit Commission yesterday.
Penn Yam. N. Y. has presented the
first case of distress to the State Coal
Board. according to c. H. b. Chaplin Of
the Public Utilities committee. He yes
terday asked Pennsylvania authorities
about the fate Of 900 ton allotment for
the Yates county community. which
Washington had placed" in the west
ern Pennsylvania fields.
Lack of Gas mt Penn Yam.
The Penn Yam gas worss has been
partially shut down since Monday, put
ting out of commission three newspapers
with gas supplied linotype machines.
Two cars Of the companys coal in tran
sit were Communicated by the New York
Central and a third was lost" accord
ing to Mr. Chaplin.
New York city's boiler and furnace
heating equipment is largely inter-
changeable for either hard or soft coal,
according to experts of the heating
equipment concern.
Their conversion to accommodate soft
coal for lack of anthracite this winter
will cause inconvenience. however.
Special Dispatch to THE NEw YORK HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau.
Albany. Aug. 23.
Gov. Miller conferred with a score or
more OF coal dealers ard representatives
OF operators this afternoon on the coal
shortage situation, preparatory to the
extraordinary session. of the Legisla-
ture next week.
"Of course whatever we do we shall
need the cooperation OF these gentle
men," said the Governor. I'VE had
general discussion on the situation.
find there is a general prospect Of prompt
resumption of mining In the bituminous
fields and they can produce more than
the normal consumption OF the country.
The anthracite situation Is different
When mining will be resumed in the
anthracite fields nobody seems to know
or course the immediate problem we
Rave to deal with Is domestic fuel for
the householder. We can't do much In
the way OF distributing 1t until there Is
some fuel to distribute"
Retail Dealers Present.
Among those at the conference were q
committee of retailers, headed by George
Woodside, secretary of the New York
State Retail Coal Dealers Association !:
committee of wholesalers. headed by
J s. McEwan and Seth Morton of Al
bany, and committee representing the
anthracite producers. led by w. II. WILL
Jams. vice-president OF the Delaware and
Hudson road and w. Birmingham OF the
Lackawanna.
Many believe that the fuel distributor
should have full control over prices and
that heavy prison sentences be imposed
for profteering. Assemblyman James
Caulfield OF Brooklyn. who was in Al
bany to-day. said that his experience
as member OF the Lockwood housing
committee showed that prison SEN
tence with no fne as an alternative was
the only means OF enforcing such a law.
Gov. Miller said that he was getting
information from all sources, but that
the situation is one that may be changed
at any time by developments.