The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-09-29
Suspension of the Printing of Ours
reney and Postage Stamps May
Be Necessary -
NOT A POUND OF COAL IN
THE PRESIDENTS BIN
Government May be Compelled in Self.
Preservation to Seize Some of the
/. Anthracite Coal Mines and Operate
Them-cessation of Currency Print
ing Would be Disastrous.
Special to The Globe.

Special to The Globe.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Sept. 2S-The
United States government may be
forced to condemn some Of the anthra-
cite coal mines and operate them to
obtain sufficient supply of fuel to
keep the wheels Of government moving.
A general cessation of public business
about the government departments in
this city Is a probability of the near
future unless heroic measures are
adopted to obtain anthracite coal.
A serious phase Of the anthracite
strike in Pennsylvania, which has re-
ceived practically no consideration out
side of official circles but which in its
possible widespread disastrous effect
upon business and national prosperity
makes it of first Importance, is tha
scarcity of coal in the government
buildings. At several departments the
supply of coal is practically exhausted.
The officials refrain from discussing
the situation because of the grave con-f
sequences involved.
Unless the anthracite mines are plac-
ed in operation, either by an agreement
between the operators and miners or
by the government taking forcible pos
session, 1t will be comparatively short
time before the printing of paper
money, which Is proceeding at the
rate Of 100000 day, and the print
ing of postage stamps will have to be
abandoned.
Elevators Stop Running.
Already the elevator in the WASH
ington monument has shut down be-
cause Of the scarcity of coal. Tho
next step will be the closing of the ele-
vatOrs in the government departments,
and in week or two the electric and
heating plants about the public build
ings must close until some relief is
forthcoming. The presses at the bu-
reau of engraving and printing, where
the paper currency and postage
stamps are turned out, are dependent
upon a small supply of bituminous
coal, but the demand for soft coal
makes the officials apprehenSive that
1t will soon be as scarce as hard coalt
Should these presses be stopped, th<
effect upon business can hardly be esS
ply of postage stamps that could b{
used in such an emergency, but not
enough to guarantee enough stampf
to go around, should the presses re5
main idle any length Of time. Just
now, when there is scarcity of mon@
ey, the suggestion that the goyern%
ment may be forced to stop printing
currency must cause chill of appreI
henSion. AS the supply of coal on
hand is exhausted, and as the weather.
grows colder there must be a Suspen<
sion Of government business.
President Out of Coal.
coal the clerks will, within the next
| three weeks, be required to work in
their overcoats, by the light of oil
lamps, and before two months go by
it will be so cold that only the strong
est can perform any work without heat
in the buildings. The president and
There is not lump in the presidents
bin.
The government, when it's stability
has been threatened by war, has eX-
ercised the right to compel citizens to
come to it's defense. If it had the right
to draft men and require them to offer
their lives, is 1t without power to COM
pei the coal baronS to furnish the nee
essary fuel to discharge its functions?
The government may soon be forced to
consider in this regard the compara-
tive value of pound of coal and
pound of flesh. 1t has taken the one.
Is 1T powerless to take the other?