The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1890-07-05
UNCLE SANS COAL,
Dealers Sell 1t to Him at Cost for the
Sake of Advertising.

Dealers Sell 1t to Him at Cost for the
Sake of Advertising.
There is no money in supplying I'm
Gle Sam with COAL" said big dealer in
that article to a Washington Post re-
porter. "We who contract to deliver
portions of the vast quantity of antbra-
cite and bituminous fuel used in the de.
partments figure on our bids so as to
come out without loss, and that is all.
Not a cent, as rule, do we expect to
make. Why do we accept the job, then?
Simply for glory. And yet, to be frank
with you, it is not for glory in an ordin-
airy sense. l shall be putting it palmer
if say that the award of Government
contracts for coal gives a merchant ures-
tige and advertises his regular business.
For that reason it is that we are willing
to sell goods to Uncle Sam at cost
price"
But you don't put in the coal your
own expense, surely?" queried the re-
porter.
Hardly. We reckon that in as part
of the cost. Suppose ton of cosl on
the track costs 81, we add 10 Gems for
putting in and 20 cents for inspection.
making it $3.50 delivered. That 90
cents has to be paid on every ton oicoal
delivered at the departments, according
to law. Upon delivery the Government
inspectors see that it is of good wight
and of satisfactory quality. Or Ksy
may inspect the coal at the yard, ifssE
more convenient. We have to pay the,
inspectors out of our own pocket. You
can see that their work is noc unprofita-
BILE when you consider the fact that the
Government uses 50, 900 tons of coal each
year. This allows S10,O Tor inspection.
In fact, the inspectors are the people
who make the money on the stuff"
(Which of the departments uses most
coal?'
THE Department Of the Interior
10000 tons are burned up every twelve
month. Next comes the Dis trict Gov
ernment which uses in its various build
ings, including the public schools, G,00O
tons. The navy yard cons umes 5000
tons. In the insane asylum 1000 tons
annually are burned. The building OF
the State, War and Navy uses $500 tons,
and the Capitol 5000 for both wings.
Twenty-Five hundred tons are consumed
by the Quartermaster's Department and
1000 by the Treasury. The Bureau OF
Engraving and Printing burns 1900
tons, the Government Printing Office
1,5OO, the Post-Office 1000. the Freed.
mems Hospital 800, the Botanic Garden
800, and the War Department bureaus
500. Odds and ends here and there will
make up the total to 50, 900 tons easily
what is the average price paid by
the Government for it's coal?"
For hard coal So, and for the soft
which comes from Cumberland County
Maryland, 1926. Probably the Govern
ment pays $4,000 for coal annually.
Soft coal is used at the navy yard,
where it is preferable for running the
machinery in the shops; also, in the
Bureau of Engraving and Printing and
the Government Printing Office for the
same reason. Three-fourths of the coal
used in the Treasury building is soft
the heating being done by steam. Hard
coal exclusively is consumed at tbs
Capitol, both on the House and on the
Senate side. Some times we make oul
contracts with Uncle Sam on a sort Of
gambling basis. That is to say, we
make our bid at the current market
price; if coal goes up five cents ton we
lose, while if it goes down five cents we
earn something"