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Show WHOLE COUNTRY NOW INVOLVED IN RATIONING OF COAL WASHINGTON. Dec. 4. The country a wliole now .is involved In coal rationing ra-tioning measure, which lias befn proposed pro-posed to eko out supplies shortened bv tho nation-wide strike of bituminous mine workers. The flow of appeals to the rc-cstab-Tslied fuel administration showed general alarm over the situation. Middle western west-ern territory, where the shortage has become be-come acute, throi.gh representatives In congress today demanded that the eastern east-ern seaboard and New Kngland be compelled com-pelled lu share surplus supplies and lne up to restrictions on power and light consumption as drastic as those effective in tile west. Senator Cummins, Republican, of Iowa, announced alter consulting the fuel administration ad-ministration that he had obtained an increase in tho allotment of coal to -Mississippi valley states. Louis W. Hill, chairman of the board of the Great Northern railroad, representing northwestern north-western consumers, maue a plea -for better bet-ter distribution of coal resources at the head ct the Great lakes, visiting both the railroad. and fuel administrations. Meanwhile, the responsible heads of the larger coal mining concerns of the country. coun-try. In a second day of general cotiter-ence cotiter-ence here, announced that they had agreed to pay miners an additional sum of 11 cents per ton for coal mined, basing bas-ing the figure on conditions In thin vein areas." and thereby fixing a scale practically for the entire country. This more than carried out the Proposal Pro-posal of Fuel Adniln.strator Garfield that the coal miners be given a 11 per cent advance without Increase In the selling price of coal, they asserted, because average av-erage figures showed that an advance of 10.E.G cents per ton would meet the requirement. , , n Proposals were made at the final session ses-sion that the mine operators adopt an aggressive policy of fighting the strike by resuming production on- an open shop" bas.s, but no definite stand was taken on a collective policy. It was said the majority preferred to await the result re-sult of the renewed efforts by the government gov-ernment to prosecute the leaders of the striking mine workers In the fedeial courts for violating the Lever law. Coal production was said to be continuing con-tinuing at a slight advance over the last week, according to reports available n advance of the geological survey b w etkl) bUThea'railroad administration, since the fuel shortage became acute in tlie mla'e west, has been sending coal westward on fast schedule. In the last two weeks approximately 20,000 cars have moved to dfstric.s west of the Mississippi river. Of the total, 7654 cars were consigned to communities in the central we'ern region re-gion 8194 to the southwestern region Ind 3881 cars to the northwestern region. Officials" said that within the last wee an average of 800 cars a day had been sent to eSfch of the three areas This was expected to represent about the maxi S .amount which will be shipped because be-cause of the gradual lowering of reserves re-serves in the east. |