Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1922-08-04
HENRY SPENCER
is BOSS OF COAL
Named Federal Fuel AdminiStra-
tor by the President; Served
During War.
GOVERNMENT WILL CONTROL
Action Indicates That Return of Miners
and Shopmen to Jobs viii Not
Remove country's Acute
Fuel Crisis.

Washington, July 31.-Henry Spen'
Ger was appointed federal coal adj
ministrator by President Harding.
This action plainly indicates that set
Element Of either or both Of the coal
and rail strikes viii not halt the gov
eminent in its plan to control the dis
tribution of food and fuel.
Colonel Spencer was general pur-
chasing agent for the railway admin
istration during the war and had
charge of national coal distribution
after dissolution of the Garfield Coal
administration. He is a former vice
president of the Southern Railway
company.
The return of miners to the mines
or shopmen to the shops will not re-
move the country's acute fuel crisis IN
its entirety. 1t can only relieve it, the
degree Of relief depending on how
soon either group of strikers may re-
turn to work
The necessity for government su-
pervision over coal distribution and
price control will continue for many
weeks after the end of the strikes, and
If the strikes are prolonged, may be
required throughout the coming VIM
ter.
Depletion of reserve coal stocks with
the summer only half gone already has
brought them down to the danger
point, with consumption exceeding pro-
duction. Fuel conservation, therefore,
is necessary from this time on, if suf-
fering is to be. prevented or minimized
next winter. Secretary Hoover has
declared that if the miners were to re.
turn to work at once it would not be
possible to produce enough coal to
meet the normal winter demands Of
the country.
Faced with this situation, the Presi-
dents coal committee has set about to
establish an organization prepared to
function for months to come. The
committee has been in almost contfn-
uous session since it's appointment by
the President Wednesday, whipping
this organization into shape and secur-
ing the cooperation of governors and
public utilities commissions in the
states to set up local machinery to CO.
operate with the government organiza-
ton.
Secretary Hoover has received tele-
grams from several additional govern
ors pledging their cooperation. Com
missioner Aftchison of the inter-
state commerce commission also re-
ceived messages from several addi-
tfonal state and railroad and public
utilities commissions assuring their CO.
operation in making the commissions
priority regulations for fuel and food
movements effective in their states.
Impetus was given to fuel and food
transportation when embargoes were
announced against all freight except
these necessities by four coal-carrying
railroads of the Southeast.
Chicago, July 90 Shortage of coal,
due to the strike, is seriously affect
ing the harvest of crops, it was as
serted by officials of the American
Farm Bureau federation, who predict
ed exhaustion of coal for farm pur-
poses within ten days.
"A week or ten days without Keller
will create a serious situation" said a
formal statement by the federation Off
Gals.
The federation also issued an open
appeal to the government to take over
the mines and operate them until the
merits of the controversy can be de-
termined. The use of troops to pro-
tect private operators was severely
oOnd damned