Show TIlE THE CO COAL IJ SITUATION Indianapolis News New It I Is evident that thai the coal famine in ha the Northwest Is vcr very ery serious F For Foi FI it I It the r railroads arc are In Jim part but not wholly to to bl blame me Weather reather conditions have ha had something some some- thIng to lo do with wih creating It i. i And It I appears that thai the thc shipper shipper who find II Jt cheaper cheap r to lo use the cars as store- store than It Is to unload t them must bear part of th the responsibility A member of the Inter Interstate Commerce commission SaIl said In The News that there here are at the present time Um cars cl at Galveston Texas waiting to tobe tobe toe be e unloaded He lie said sM further that man many of these cars had been standing on n the tracks for months months There here arc are more ears cars at Kansas City though hough these are empty For some reason eason the railroads refuse to move ove them hem The trouble I In Kansas and Missouri Mis MIs- ls- ls seems to be le a lack not of or cars but of ot motive power E. E H. H Harriman recently said sid that the railroads had enough cars but that tho the shimmers at that time were using cars for warehousing purposes refusing to unload unload un un- um- um load them Concerning which statement state state- meat ment we have ha this a former railroad railroad rail rail- rai- rai road man The facts facia more moro nearly are that the railway wa themselves arc holdIng holdIng hold- hold Ing lag empties at Kansas CI City till tl the grain gain market gets gels right Any traveler can cn make oath that on nearly every sl siding ing he passes are arc strings of empte The rho railways refrain from sending these to lo the shippers and to shipping points The result Is this cry of car cr shortage As coal Is now selling at Tonopah at 60 60 a ton tori It I occur occurs to us that possibly possibly pos pot sibly certain railroads and their managers arc are ed In coal mines mimics mines That fact would certainly help to lo account ac ac- ac- ac count In part for the present coa coal famine amine A A citizen of North Dakota said MId Id theother theother the tho other day that he thought the federal fedora government should use the army to compel the moving o of cpa coal epal 1 Wo We agree with wiLl wih him hint that thai In iii such mulch a stress as this the tho federal go should d do everything In its Is power to help th the people But hero It seems to u 1 Is Isas Isas as good a chance chanco as could bo be asked for the state stale governments to show their value It I Is said sid that appeals wi wll bo be made to lo the Iho governors of ot both boll North Dakota and Minnesota to employ employ employ em em- ploy the state tato troops in iii forcing th the movement of coal trains train That w would woul uld be an eminently proper U use to makof make mak of the state soldiers Why rh not tr try th the experiment Wo Yo do to not nol say sy that th the thera ra Washington government nt should no riot not do Us its Is part arid and ant more than Its Is par part at such a time Ume as this when the tho people are In danger of freezing to death But nut we should Ik like lo to see some seine vigorous vigor vIgor- ous and Independent action acton by th the thc state governments go certainly c control Interstate commerce When face to lo face with wih such an emergency as that which Is now presented n none no noone noone one would criticise tho the stale state governments govern govern- ments oven even If JC the they should go beyond their province and try their hand inthe In tho the business of at regulating Inter interstate commerce In coal They can compel the unloading of or cars and the thc prompt loading and shipment of ot empties It I It II I t I I t. t Cf o 1 t li 1 Is not flattering to the time local authorities that Hint the people should In their distress distress dis dis- tress make their appeal In the lie f. f t Instance to Washington It I is evident Ment that our OUI transportation system Is as is as our currency system and that thai both holh ar an entirely In In- In adequate There Is plenty of coal but the people can not get Iet it I. I In a Q Terre Haute dispatch to lo this paper It II was said sll that the Chicago mArl market et is flooded with wih coal and that thai time iho congestion con con- geston Is due to lo time Iho failure of th time Iho- Northwest lines to haul It Much olour ol or our coal coat has of late been beer sold beyond Ch Chicago ago but bul now tc tte blockade at that point Is diminishing operations In lit timEs this state slate Prices have havo nol hot been advanced at tho the mines though thoy they have been beem advanced ancel ad at Chicago o Little has been leen experienced In gelling all al the cars that are arc needed to haul the coal to that city But Bul the people of or the Northwest can get gel Jet none mione of or IL it Whatever What ever the thc cause the time situation is serious serIous It I must he be dealt with wih In lii a heroic way II n Is a r great chance chanco for tor the state governments gov- gov to show that thai they are arc not nol so Impotent ns ns is certain high authorities would have ha e us believe We Ye hope they will 1 hII Improve It I. 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