Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-16

the various lines Of steamers running OF
the Potomac Unless supply Is received
during the day, several Of the boats VIII o.
forced to tie up at their docks tomorrow.
Pea coal, which is totally UNIT Tor use or
steamboats,, as their furnaces are now ar.
ranged, was purchased by the managers o.
one Of the river lines last night, ana WIFE
this and the small supply of soft coal on
hand mixed together, they nope 70 Keel
their boats In commission until the Sol
coal situation becomes easier. Never IL
the history of steam on the Poomac mas
fuel been so scarce.
At Government Buildings.
Mr.. II. w. Zoolinger, chief engineer Of the
Treasury Department building, said this
afternoon that there was about eighty tons
of soft coal In the bins at that building,
enough to run all the machinery and heat
ing apparatus for about week without g
new supply He also said that the dealer
with whom the government has contract
is delivering about fourteen tons at the
building daily.
The Winder and Cox buildings, both Of
which are used as part OF the Ir ire sur
Department, are fairly well supplied Win
anthracite coal and there is no apprehen-
sion that the department Will surfer from
the existing conditions.
At the State, War and Navy departments
building it was stated that while there Is nc
soft coal In hand, there Is q sufnclenl
amount of the hard product to operate the
building at full speed for few days
Like reports were also given out at the
Department of Justice building.
The Post Office Department has received
two cars of coal which tided over critical
emergency.
Shortage Of Soft Coal.
AS to the shortage Of soft coal in Wash
ington and Baltimore the following special
from Grafton, w. Va, to the Baltimore
Sun may shed some Hight:
1.-THE independent operators OF the FAR
mont region are incensed at the action OF
the Baltimore and Ohio railroad officials
although they dare not speak of the matter
openly, and 1t Is difficult to get all the In
side facts of the situation They are all
agreed in the opinion that since the acqul-
sition of the Baltimore and Ohio by the
Pennsylvania interests, policy designed 10
crush out the Independent operators en-
tirely is being vigorously pursued.
1.-THE order requiring one-half of all coal
shipped from this region to be sent west
Is stated to be one of the principal moves
In this game Of suppression. The order ap-
plies only to coal.
ITO understand to what extent this order
will cripple the small Independent dealers
1t is necessary to know the conditions In
this region. The Fairmont Coal Company
produces more than one-half OF the coal
shipped from this region, and this COM
pany is said to be closely allied with, IL not
actually controlled by, the Baltimore and
Ohio Having large capital, the company
has offices in Chicago, St Louis, st. Paul
and Kansas City, and practically controls
the western market Of this field. On the
contrary, the small dealers, with tonnage
Of from ten to twenty-five cars daily, can
not afford to maintain offices in the west
and their customers and connections are
almost exclusively in the east:
with this condition Of affairs existing It
can be easily seen that 1t Is immaterial to
the Fairmont Coal Company in which d.
rection it's output Is sent, while 1t Is almost
q dead loss for the smaller companies to
ship west, especially after the lake sea-
son has ended. One operator stated that
he had been compelled to pay his consignee
in the west $500 on one shipment recently,
so the proceeds from the sale or the coal
were that much less than the sum collected
by the railroad for freight charges. He
stated that many Of the western agents nad
refused to receive consignments. or coal
unless the freight charges were prepaid.
Another circumstance which Is vouched
for by the largest Independent operators
and which they say shows that the Penn
sylvania railroad Is determined to protect
its own shippers at the expense OF the west
Virginia operators is the evident EFFORT OF
the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, since the
PENNSYLVANIA obtained control, to discour-
age the development OF these fields. They
state that in order to prevent new mines
being opened in this field the Baltimore and
Ohio has refused to allow companies which
contemplate entering the field to connect
their mine tracks with the Baltimore and
Ohio tracks, and 1t is said that a
number of operators have opened mines.
built tipples and laid tracks, only to be told
by the Baltimore and Ohio officials that
they could not put in a switch connecting
with the line The deserted tipples and
sidings are pointed out as proof OF this
assertion"