The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-09-05
PRICE OF HARD COAL
The Navy Having . Great Deal Of
Trouble - . Result Of the Strike
IN the Anthracite
Regions.

a Hsra ak eH~@
,Washington. Sept. 4--(special.)-Th
high price Of hard coal resulting from
the strike which has been in progress for
such long time, Is beginning to DO q
very serious problem In washington. not
only among private citizens. but with the
government departments. The District
of Columbia oftcials are having q great
deal Of trouble. too. Just at present the
commissioners are experiencing great diff
ficulty In securing an amount Of fuel suf-
icient to last the schools Of the district
until the strike Ii ended and prices lower
ed Proposals for supplies are coming
In slowly and In most cases the prices
quoted are 90 high aa to preclude the
possibility Of 3 purchase being made. As
result It 10 barely possible that, II the
strike continues during the remainder Of
the year. as now seems possible. some
OF the schools will be very seriously in
convenienced. AS high as - per ton is
being paid for Lykens valley coal In small
quantities.
The Navy Department Is having great
deal Of trouble with the coal question and
at present there 10 absolutely no indica-
tion OF any relief On June Is of last
years the department contracted for the
delivery Of 5000 tons OF Clearfield coal
at the League Island navy yard during
the fiscal year ending June 30. 1902. All
Of the coal was not delivered in the time
specified and the department II attempt
ing to have 1t delivered now. The Sec
rotary was not certain whether the con-
tractor could be compelled to complete
his contract after the expiration Of the
time originally named and in order to
settle the question requested decision
from the Comptroller of the Treasury.
The Comptroller rendered a decision, but
1t was to the effect that he had no
jurisdiction in the premises. Thus the
matter stands at present. except that
the contractors have promised to deliver
small amount Of coal within the next
few months
A Mighty Problem.
The enormous amount of coal used by
the Navy Department makes the problem
a mighty one and there are good grounds
for the belief that q sad state of affairs
will be In evidence before the strike is
settled, unless settlement Is made in
the near future. which does not now
seem probable.
1t lie natural that the matter OF the
possibilities Of oil as fuel should be
widely discussed In this connection The
Navy Department has been experiment
ing with oil as fuel for some months past
and 90 far all of the tests have been sue
cessful with the exception of some few
minor details which may easily be ar
ranged. Unoficial advices regarding
the recent trial trip of the Mariposa re-
port most satisfactory state Of affairs
Apdo " these advices are fully confirmed
by the official statement, which has not
yet. reached here. the public need not be
surprised to learn that the Navy De-
partment Ia to take some immediate
steps looking toward the substitution OF
oil for coal.
That the interest In the oil question is
general is shown by the fact that c. w.
Hays. an attache Of the geological sur
vey, is at present preparing a paper on
the possibility OF fuel oil being brought
in competition with coal. Mr.. Hays has
made thorough Investigations among the
oil fields of Texas and Louisiana and he
is convinced that II win not only be prac-
ticabIe, but advisable, for the oil to be
placed on the fuel market In direct COM
petition with coal He will point out ir
the paper now under preparation that al
of the larger producing fields Of the tive
States named are within a few miles from
the gulf coast and that IL Is therefore
easy to have the oil piped to the water
and loaded on vessels which can cheaply
distribute 1t at all points ON the Atlantic
coast. 1t Is pointed out in this connec-
ton that practically all of the large rail-
road systems of the Southwest are now
using oil to the total exclusion OF coal.
The "Two-Hat" Game.
Since Secretary Shaw commenced his
crusade against gambling among the en-
ployes of the Treasury Department. a
new species Of deception has been de-
tected This Is known as the "two-hat
game. and efforts are now being made to
break it UP. 1t Ia. Of course. against
the rules of all the departments for clerks
to go out of their respective offices ex'
cept on business. so some Of the mer
who found 1t impossible 10 wait for the
close of business for their drinks. evolved
the two hat scheme. When a thirsty
man went to the cffice in the morning he
carried a soft hat rolled up and tucked
away safe from observation In an In
side pocket. On arriving at the office hi
hung the hat he wore on its regular
hook, and for the next hour or SO, per
haps, would be the most industrious mar
in the ONCE. Then the desire for drini
would overcome him. and he would go tt
satisfy 1t. Leaving the hat on the hool
Still hanging, ne WouIu pass Out Oh tis
Office and put on the soft hat as he LEFT
the building II a superior noticed hi
absence AMI asked for him. some fellow
clerk would see the hat on the hook and
remark that Smith must have stepped
into the next office. or somewhere else II
the building, for there's his hat" AND
the superior. knowing that clerks are fire.
qUently required to go to other rooms CT
business, would not think of looking fur
ther into the little game.