The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-08-03
SPENCER ANNOUNCES
 GOVERNMENT PLANS FOR COAL RATIONING|
Federal Organization to Cover Distribution of Supplies to Railroads, Government lnstl- tutions and States, With Governors Handling State Distribution.
By Associated Press


 Washington, August 2.-Govern- ment plans for distribution of coal during the existing emergency were announced tonight by Fuel Distribu- tor Spencer after conference with Secretary Hoover and the central committee appointed by President Harding. The federal organization in Washington, he said, will cover the distribution of available supplies among the railroads, federal institu- tions and states, while the governors of the states will handle local sup ply. , organization. MT. Spencer said, there Intermediate stages will ensue, first the continuation of their normal business by the operators. then prior- ity buyers under tho interstate com merce commission service order No. 2s will gradually encroach upon op- orators business and finally, coal orders placed through the federal fuel distributor will absorb the en- tire output of the mines.
 OtHfTfCI OSmmAAlCCh AEONAaN0s
 Provision has been made for the establishment of district committees to represent the federal distribu- ton administration in the producing fields with special arrangements Tor supplying the Great Lakes section. Detailed programs were drawn up today for the states which included the fixing of the responsibility Tor the payment of all coal shipped Into the state under the governors com mittee.
 District committees set up in tho coal fields are to consist Of navat officer, representing the federal fuel distributor, a representative Of the interstate commerce commission, representative of the railroads and representatives of the coal opera tors.
 District Headquarters have been established as follows:
 Norton, Va. for Virginia mines, except the Pocahontas district; Blue field. W. Va, for the Pocahontas. Winging Gulf, New river, Tug river and Virginian districts; Huntington, W. Va, Kanawha. Logan, William son and Big Sandy districts: knox vilio. Tenn, fields in southeastern Kentucky outside of Harlan and Hazard and all mines in Tennessee. Louisville, Kentucky. Harlan, flax ard, and fields on the Louisville ana Nashville and Illinois and Central railroads and Birmingham, Ala, Tor all mines in Alabama.
 TO Concentrate Distribution.
 Distribution of fuel for the rail- roads is to be gradually concentrated in the hands of a railway coal com- mittee of coal buyers from the dif- ferent railway groups as follows; B. P. Philippe of tho Pennsylvania railroad and representing the east crn group: Chairman E. A. Clifford of the Santa Fe railroad for the western group; F H. Feehtig Of the Atlantic Coast line for the southern group, and W. G. O'Fallon of the Terminal railroad association of St. Louis, for the southwestern group. State fuel committees are to re- port at once the consumption of coal in their territories by utilities, household users and industries, to- gether with a list of those who
 should receive priorities.
 ITO settle up a single consignee in each state,p a statement issued after the conference said, Ion behalf of all coal shipped into that state on or
 ders from the governors commit tee, through the federal fuel distrib- utor, the governors committee will become responsible for payment of all coal shipped into that state and will put in advance bank deposits to cover same which depository will | honor, consisting of a sight draft i with weight certificate. car number. | etc, this being practically an f. Q. b,
 sale."
 | Governors committees were made entirely responsible for the preven-
 ton of profiteering and extortion in the sale and distribution of coal within their states and will dis | tribute coal made available. to them, | according to their judgment.