Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-07-26
GROUNDWORK FOR
F UEL RAT|ON|NG
PLAN OU Il me D
Way Is Opened for Distri-
button of Coal Under
Plan Approved BY Rep
reSentativeS of Producers
(By The Associated Press.)

washington, July 20 (Dy the AS
sociated Press. )-Moblize to meet
the crisis of nation wide fuel
shortage. federal agencies, produc-
| ing operators and railroad traffic
experts awaited tonight the word
from President Harding to set in
motion the administration ma
chine for emergency coal control.
| Groundwork for the operation of
the emergency fuel rationing pro-
gram was laid today by the inter-
state commerce commission, which
declared an emergency existed on
the railroads east of the Mississippi
river. This formal announcement
of the carriers inability to serve the
public in the transportation of ne
icessities opened the way for the dis
| tribution of coal under the plan
unanimously adopted by represent
atives of the producing fields in
conference with Secretary Hoover.
Directing Agency.
The directing agency for the
emergency machine-a presidential
committee chosen from the inter-
state commerce commission, the de-
lpartments of commerce, justice and
| interior with Secretary Hoover as
chairman-willb be named by Presl-
dent Harding tomorrow, according
! to administration officials. This
committee, with the air of an ad-
ministrative committee of operators,
railroad traffic experts and proDa-
ibly representatives of public utlll-
ties, will direct the activities or local
committees of operators in main
tanning fair prices and in distribute
ing fuel to the carriers and other
public utilities in the order of pre-
ference established by the interstate
commerce commission, as best SUIT
ed to serve the needs of the general
public.
Two orders, both based on Its de-
claration that an emergency III
| Transportation existed, were issued
| by the commission. The first dl-
rected railroads all over the United
States to disregard usual or ques-
itioned routing of shipments in favor
of such routing as would eXpedlte
movement and avoid congestoh'
while the second established sys-
/ tenn of preference and priorities IN
shipments over all roads east Oh the
| Mississippi.
Though the preference system
sketched in the second mandate
entitled service order number 25'
said that priority should be given
in the movement of food, livestock.
nerishable products and coal and
other fuels, alp of its details were
devoted to facilitating the govern
ment plan for distributing coal.
Directions to Railroads.
Railroads were directed to sup
ply coal cars to mines Tor such
special purposes as may from time
TO time be designated by the COM
mission or its agent therefor the
agent mentioned being the presl-
dental committee which will di-
rect coal distribution. These spe-
cial needs having been cared Tor,
carriers were directed to use all
| equipment for transporting fuel
first to railroads and other com
| mon tdIIltIS, SNNoilb1 w
| utilities, street railways, power,
light, gas, water and sewer works
ice plants and hospitals; third, to
governmental, local, state and fed
| eral bodies; and, fourth-this ap-
plying only to coal carriers reach
! ing Pennsylvania Ohio, West Vir-
ginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and
/ iAlabama-for shipments via Lake
Erie ports to Lake Superior ports
Domestic fuel coal generally was
given the next place in the prefer
ence list.
Railroads were forbidden to d.
vert or reconsign shipments ex'
cept as they might be needed fol
a superior use under the order OF
classification set for them. They
were further required to discon,
tinue use of cars suitable for Goa
shipment in any other traffic, and
railroads not serving mines We're
required to begin daily deliveries
of suitable coal cars to coal car
Tiers.