Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-13
ALL MUST ECONOMZE
Coal Famine Makes It Abb
solutely Imperative.
SUBSTITUTES FOR FUEL
MUST BE UTILIZED THROUGHOUT
THE WINTER.
Railroads Are Fulfilling Promises, but
Will Be Unable to Satisfy
the Demand.
SUBSTITUTES FOR FUEL

The verbal promise made by the Phila-
! delphia and Reading Coal and Iron Com
pany to the subcommittee Of the business
mems committee appointed by De Commits
sioners of the District of Columbia TO pro-
vide for Washington fifty cars of anthra-
cite coal daily is being fulfilled.
Approximately - per cent of the output
of the three mining companies dominated
| by the Pennsylvania railroad in the last
few weeks has been sent TO Washington.
Called Upon Railroads
This information. so important to the peo-
| pie of the national capital. was learned in
Philadelphia yesterday by five prominent
citizens who were in that city to attend the
annual convention of the National Civil
! Service Reform Association and who called
| upon Mr.. Henderson, second vice president
| of the Philadelphia and Reading company
| and general manager of its coal business
! and at the office of Mr.. Wistar. one of the
| vice presidents of the Pennsylvania rail-
| road.
LOG Cars Shipped One Day.
''As an instance of the interest Mr. Hem
| derson has in carrying out his promise. the
| people of Washington should know that
Thursday of this week there were shipped
from the company's mines JOG cars of an
thracite coal to this city. Mind you. that
was for one day.
I'VE did not see Mr. Wistar as he was
absent from his office. and had no knowl-
| edge of our coming. But his chief clerk
Mr. Williams, talked with US for a consd-~
cradle 4 time regarding the situation He
emphasized the fact that 20 per cent of the
coal mined by the companies controlled by
the pennsylvania railroad in the last few
| weeks had been consigned to the national
capital.
Pennsylvania Interested
Mr.. Williams said that the Pennsylvania
| would continue to send as much coal as
possible. He also laid stress on the point
that even with all these efforts of the
| Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia and
Reading, combined with the independent
| operators, it would be impossible to pro-
| vide enough coal for Washington this win
ter to supply the demand.
| These men we saw are experienced men
/ in the coal business, and what they said
| should be borne in mdnd by every person in
| Washington who uses coal 1t should in
| cite them to the most rigid economy in tine
use OF what coal they can get and also
cause them to seek everything in the way
OF substitutes, that there may be no suf-
fering.
Mr.. Thomas w: Smith. president of the
Washington Board of Trade and chairman
of the business mems committee headed
this delegation of citizens. Others of the
/ u IN.
Mr.. Cox, vice president of the Second Ma
tional Bank; Mr.. John Joy Edison and Mr..
A. r. Servin, chief examiner of the United
States civil service commission.
MI. Henderson Reiterates.
at was indeed a pleasure to have an
other talk with Mr.. Henderson of the Read
ing Mr.. Smith said today He treated
| us cordially, although came not as the
representative of any committee or organi-'
ton. Mr.. Henderson assured us that he
was carrying out the verbal promise of
fifty cars of hard coal daily, with the ex-
ception of Sundays and when the mines
were idle.
HE pointed out that for several hours on
Thursday of last week the mines were idle
and again on Friday. Monday was a holi-
day in the mining regions and the men did
practically nothing in the mining of coal.
Mr.. Henderson told that he intended
that Washington should have fifty cars of ,
coal daily when the mines were in opera
ton and as much more as could be spared
The Law Too Strict.
81 have frequently looked over the city
from the Capitol, where a commanding
view can be obtained" replied Senator
Gallinger, "and 1 have seldom failed to see
dense black smoke rising from chimneys
in different portions OF the city. Private
buildings, public buildings and passing To-
comotives all contribute to the smoke
nuisance.
There is no city in the country in which
the necessity for some practical anti-smoke
law is greater than here, where so much
money has been and is being spent to
beautify the city in every feature My !:
observation is that there has been little
effort to comply with the law, because IL |
has been recognized that It is impossible.
by any practicable means, to do so strictly, /
and as arrests and fines have been regarded !
as inevitable many people have, in large
part, disregarded the law.
Some Questions
Mr. A Kahn: ''I have made several at
tempts to get coal from several dealers but
as yet my efforts have been Of no avail. .
Notwithstanding the fact that l offered $40
a ton Some of the dealers informed me !
that they have signed contract with the
railroad companies to sell anthracite coal .
for s125 ton. They also told me that
they were unable to get coal. 1 am Of the
opinion that the local dealers not to
blame and that the difficulty lies with the :
railroad companies. / used the last of
quantity of coal which / had saved from ;
last year a few days ago, and now am .
entirely out. 1 would like to know where !
the responsibility of the present situation
actually lies, with the mine owners or the
railroad companies. From what l can
learn, they are one and the same
Mr. N H. Shea: "I find that my dealer
is furnishing me with coal just about as
rapdly as / expected to get 1T. OF course.
I have not been able to get in my winters
supply. think 1t Is the part Of wisdom
for any dealer desiring to remain In busi-
ness to sell his fuel at a reasonable profit,
tust as he has been accustomed to. As yet
1 have received no bin for the coal that
have thus far been able to obtain. but am
certain that It will only cost fair price.
I believe that the majority Of the dealers
are doing the best they can and are acting
suuarely in the matter with their Gus
toners"
Mrs Margaret " Thorne of No. IL Grant
place stated to reporter for The Star
that II has been no easy matter to secure
coal from a number of local dealers. For :
several weeks past" said Mrs. Thorne. "I
have had orders placed with a number OF
dealers for hard coal. but was unable to
get more than quarter OF ton at time
until the first of this week. Last Tuesday. +
after making about a dozen VISITS to tho
ONCE of a dealer managed to secure ton