The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-06-14
NO LACK OF COAL
DEALERS DECLARE THAT THERE
Is NO CAUSE FOR ALARM.
NOT FRIGHTENED BY STRIKE.
SOURCES OF SUPPLY WILL BE OPEN
TO SAVANNAH.

supply Company Discusses the
Coal Situation-If Pennsylvania
and Virginia Coal Advance in
Alabama and Georgia-DOes Not
Expect, However, That There VIII
BE an Advance-AlI the Coal
Tramp Steamships Want Can Be
Furnished in annah-Savannah
Has Greater Advantages in Getting
Coal Than Most Cities.
Savannah will have no coal famine.
Tramp steamships will be able to get
all the coal here they want. There is
plenty of it on hand, but, if more is
wanted, whether there is a strike or
not, it can be had. The prices, too,
will not be advanced far above what
they are now, if they are advanced at
ALL"
These reassuring statements were
made by Mr.. R. S. Salas of the Stan
dard Fuel Supply Company. His COM
pany, with others, have been notified
that tramp steamships will not be
coaled at Norfolk and Newport News,
but he declares that its sources of sup
ply have not been closed, but that all
the coal that it wanted can be secured
from Virginia and Maryland ports.
"One of the railways last Tuesday
wanted to know if we could supply 1t
with 10000 tons of COAL" said Mr..
Salas. The management was fearful
that the coal strike might affect the
coal situation, so they concluded that
it would be well TO stock up. We an
swered within three hours, after get
tign in connection with our people in
the coal regions, that we would under
take to make the deliveries within two
months-1O,OOO tons month. We could
have carried out the contract, too, and
that shows that there is still coal to
be mad. All the mines have not been
shut down. In Pennsylvania and in
Virginia there are still mines that are
under operation, and their output is
available.
Mr. Salas said that Savannah has an
advantage over any other part on the
Atlantic coast. 1t the miners of Penn
sylvnia and Virginia so on strike, the
coal mines of Georgia and Alabama are
open for it to obtain a supply. The
Central Railways direct line furnishes
transportation, and, as soon as the
eastern coal advances in price, that
from the Southern fields is at hand.
Just let the Eastern coal advance a
little" said Mr. Salas, and we buy
from Georgia and Alabama mines. Con-
Wet labor is employed in these mines
and the cOnVictS don't know what it is
to strike. If a strike in the Eastern
fields should last long enough, and the
reserves of coal should be used, Sa-
vannah could send coal from the
Southern fields to New York, for there
is enough in the Southern mines to
supply the whole country.
There is nothing in the talk that
the Alabama and Georgia coal is not
fit for steam purposes. This is an idea
that some people have gained through
one reason or another. 1t has been
abandoned by many who have tried the
coal. The Ocean Steamship Company
uses it, and it will use it exclusively ii
the strike makes it impossible for 1t to
get coal in New York at a reasonable
price. The Central Railway can bring
the coal here at small cost for it's own
use, and it would be used generally
if the transportation rates were not so
high by rail as to make it impossible
for the coal to compete with that re-
ceived by vessels from the Virginia and
Maryland ports. This disadvantage
would be removed, of course, if the
Pennsylvania and Virginia coal should
advance in price, and the Southern coal
would be brought here for general use.
Savannah can furnish tramp
steamships with all the coal they want.
We proved what could be done when
the government transports We're plying
between here and Cuba. We loaded
the coal in a manner that was per-
fectly satisfactory to the government,
as we have letters to show
This is one of the cheapest places for
coal and wood anywhere in this sec
ton. One reason for the low prices
for coal that prevail is found in the
heavy export business of the port
Ships sometimes come in without car
go, expecting to get their cargo here
1t sometimes happens that they are
willing to bring coal to Savannah as
ballast, making no freight charges.
1.-THE people of Savannah may rest
assured that there will be no famine"
said MIR. Salas Il do not believe prices
viii rise at all. We can get all the
coal we want at the eastern fields If
the strike continues and we can't get
it, then the prices will advance As
| said, if they go high enough to give
the Southern coal a chance we will
nave Inat, SO tnaI the strike can't cut
off the supply"
Mr.. Salas said that his company did
not, like some of the local dealers,
show any alarm because of the claims
that oil as a fuel was to make inroads
upon coal consumption. He said that
some of the dealers had neglected to
buy coal in quantities for fear that the
demand would be diminished by the
use of oil
Other dealers were seen about the
situation, and they concurred in that
expressed by Mr.. SaIas that there
would be no famine. One dealer said
if the strike should continue and the
Southern mines should become in
volved there might be greater difficulty
experienced than now threatens.