NOVBMBKIl 6, 1919. 



The Florists^ Review 



25 



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STRIKE REVIVES COAL ORDERS 



PRICES Fi;XED ON FUEL. 



Priority Classes Revived. 



When the strike of bituminous coal 

 miners throughout the United States be- 

 came a certainty, the federal administra- 

 tion reverted to war-time measures to 

 provide as far as possible for the normal 

 needs of the public and of industry. 

 Fuel Administrator Garfield signed an 

 order October 31 which revived the dis- 

 tribution and diversion orders of the 

 fuel administration, under which the old 

 list of priorities immediately became ef- 

 fective. President Wilson signed an ex- 

 ecutive order setting maximum prices 

 for soft coal in various states. 



The seizure of coal in transit was 

 made the subject of a general order to 

 all roads under government control, and 

 such coal will be taken by the govern- 

 ment as an eminent right to protect the 

 public from injury and suffering. As 

 soon as it appears that stocks of coal are 

 being dangerously reduced in any sec- 

 tion of the country, or in any vital in- 

 dustry, the government will proceed to 

 control all distribution, not only of what 

 coal may be mined while the strike is 

 in progress, but also of coal held in pres- 

 ent stocks. The railroads are cautioned 

 not to seize coal unless their own stocks 

 are depleted to a point that makes the 

 summary action necessary in order to 

 keep trains moving. 



Summer Prices Maintained. 



The maximum prices set in the exec- 

 utive order of President Wilson are 

 those which have been prevailing dur- 

 ing the summer and in the autumn up to 

 the time the proximity of the miners' 

 strike caused increases. These figures 

 are set merely to prevent profiteering 

 by coal dealers when the scarcity of coal 

 would enable them to push fuel prices to 

 an extortionate degree. 



As yet, anthracite prices are not af- 

 fected. Should the scarcity of soft coal 

 influence them, the administration will, 

 Dr. Garfield says, thereupon set maxi- 

 mum figures to prevent profiteering. 



The maximum prices are fixed by 

 states and for prepared sizes range 

 from $4.60 a net ton at mine mouth to 

 $2.60. 



Distribution of Coal Directed. 



Director-General Hines has issued an 

 order to the railroads instructing them 

 in regard to the distribution of coal now 

 in transit. For the present the regula- 

 tions of the administration will affect 

 only coal now in transit or such as is 

 mined while the strike is in progress. 

 Mr. Hines' order was as follows: 



"In order to interfere as little as pos- 

 sible with the normal course of coal 

 traffic, the railroad administration up to 

 the present time has permitted coal to 

 go to the designated consignees. For the 

 last two weeks open top equipment has 

 been devoted to coal loading to the ex- 

 •lusion of other classes of traffic and the 

 movement of such equipment has been 

 expedited so as to facilitate the maxi- 

 nnim production of coal. The result has 



been an exceptionally heavy coal pro- 

 duction, 



"It having become necessary, how- 

 ever, to be prepared to insure against all 

 temporary contingencies, that the trans- 

 portation service be protected, regional 

 directors have now been instructed to 

 see that each railroad shall accumulate 

 a necessary reserve of coal when it is 

 not already on hand, purchasing such 

 coal if possible, and otherwise holding 

 coal in transit. The practice thus re- 

 sorted to is a practice which railroads 

 have always employed in emergencies 

 whether under private or public control 

 and has been recognized as indispensable 

 to the maintenance of an essential pub- 

 lic service. 



Priority Order. 



"In holding such coal, exemptions 

 will be made as far as possible of coal 



SOFT COAL PRICES FIXED 



IVIaximum prices fixed by the 

 executive order of President Wil- 

 son October 31 govern bituminous 

 coal. Prices of anthracite are not 

 affected. The lowest and highest 

 prices by states are as follows: 



Alabama $2.45@4.35 



Colorado 1.60@4.60 



Illinois (lowest) 2.05 



Kentucky . ^ 2.30@4.50 



Ohio 2.65@3.65 



Pennsylvania 3.25@3.65 



Tennessee 2.75@4.50 



West Virginia 2.45@3.00 



Virginia 2.10@3.90 



The maximum prices restored 

 are approximately those prevail- 

 ing during the summer and until 

 recent rises owing to the threat- 

 ened strike. The object of the or- 

 der was to prevent profiteering or 

 increases. 



destined to certain classes of consignees 

 in the following order of priority, which 

 is the basis of priority adopted during 

 the war by the fuel administration: 



"1. Steam railroads; inland and coast- 

 wise vessels. 



"2. Domestic, including hotels, hospi- 

 tals and asylums. 



' ' 3. Navy and army. 



"4. Public utilities, including plants 

 and such portions of plants as supply 

 light, heat and water for public use. 



"5. Producers and manufacturers of 

 food, including refrigeration. 



"6. National, state, county and mu- 

 nicipal government emergency require- 

 ments. ^ 



"7. Bunkers and other marine emer- 

 gency requirements not specified above. 



"8. Producers of newsprint paper and 

 plants necessary to the printing and 

 publication of daily newspapers, 



"Coal held in transit is not to be un- 



loaded in storage nor used until actually 

 needed, so that if its use is later found 

 necessary it can be forwarded to desti- 

 nation whenever practicable. 



"Instructions issued provide that 

 there will be as little disturbance as pos- 

 sible in the distribution of coal, but at 

 the same time protecting the necessities 

 of the railroads, which have a public 

 duty to perform." 



Shipments Cut Off, 



This order cuts off further delivery to 

 coal yards or to commercial consumers 

 except by order of the administration's 

 representatives. Coal will be distrib- 

 uted only to commercial consumers 

 who have no reserve supply. 



Such florists as have in their season's 

 stock will not be concerned in the ad- 

 rninistration's orders, for no seizures 

 will be made until the coal in transit, 

 which is a large quantity, is used. 

 Greenhousemen who are not provided for 

 the present emergency should make ap- 

 plication at once to the railroad by 

 which their deliveries are made for ad- 

 ditional supply. 



A regional coal committee is to be 

 set up in each of the regional railroad 

 districts, with centers in Chicago, St. 

 Louis, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, 

 Eoanoke, Philadelphia, Boston and New 

 York. 



Dr. Garfield will have a representative 

 on each and the regional directors will 

 appoint the other members. These eight 

 bodies will act in conjunction with a 

 central coal committee in Washington. 



System of Distribution. 



The system of distribution outlined 

 by Director-General Hines is as follows: 



"Bituminous coal, including lignite, 

 taken and held in accordance with the 

 instructions of the director-general of 

 October 29 and 31, will be handled by 

 the director-general and the regional 

 directors through the agency of a cen- 

 tral coal committee at Washington and 

 regional coal committee which will be 

 established jointly by the regional direc- 

 tors and the fuel administration. Such 

 regional coal committee will comprise 

 the following representatives: One ap- 

 pointed by the United States fuel ad- 

 ministration and such others as the re- 

 gional director may select to handle 

 matters of purchase, distribution and 

 accounting. 



"The bituminous coal held must be 

 distributed only to those consumers 

 who have no reserve supply and must 

 have coal to meet their emergency needs. 

 The following order of preference shall 

 govern the regional coal committee in 

 such distribution as they may make 

 within their jurisdiction for emergency 

 consumption in the United States and 

 Canada: 



"(a) Eailroads, (b) army and navy, 

 together with other departments of the 

 federal government, (c) state and coun- 

 ty departments and institutions, (d) 

 public utilities, (e) retail dealers, (f) 

 manufacturing plants on war industries 

 board's preference list, (g) manufactur- 

 ing plants not on war industries board's 



