Los Angeles herald., 1906-12-08
SCHOOLS SUFFER
FUEL FAMINE
SUPPLY MAY LAST ONLY TWO
DAYS MORE
Board Of Education BIames Coal Deal
ers-contractors Say Railroads at
FauIt-Meantime New Build
ings Stay Closed

Twelve schools threatened with a coal
famine which may result in the closing
of their doors, one board of education
thoroughly aroused over what they
term the dilatory tactics of the coal
contractors, and one coal company try
ing hard to avert the storm of popular
indignation which the failure to full
| fill it's contract has evoked-such in
brief is the alleged status of the coal
| question in the public schools of this
| city at present.
| The last of July the board of educa-
ton signed contract with the Dia-
mond Ciol company calling for HOO
tons of coal to be delivered in the bins
by November Is. The price agreed
upon was a trifle less than $S. OF the
amount promised the board members
declared that little more than half
has been delivered, UP to the present
| time.
Dealers Violate School Contracts
The recent cold snap made great gaps
in the supply of the different Schools
but instead of filling these orders first
as the contract demanded, the company
is said to have sold it's coal to private
individuals who were willing to call at
| the yards for it and pay almost any
Y
According to members of the board, the
company very readily forgot its con-
tract with the city, and sold almost all
its supply at advanced rates.
In the meanwhile the school began
to suffer for lack of fuel. The first no
| ticeable effect was the failure of the
school board to open the new schools
which had been promised for last Mon
day, on account of lack of fuel. Next,
loud and insistent walls came from the
different schools which were running
out of fuel, and the foreman of schools
was put to his wits end to contrhive
ways and means of stretching the
amount on hand. In several cases it
was found necessary to take coal from
the schools that had a fair supply on
hand to keep others heated. Last week
a load was taken from the Washington
street school to the Thirty ninth street
building. At other places there is
enough for only two days more.
| Mr.. Charlton, assistant foreman, said
last night: Il am thoroughly disgusted
with the dilatory business methods of
the coal company. Mr.. Kellum himself
promised me faithfully last July that
he would have every ton of coal in the
bins by November Is. / gave him a list
of eight schools that were almost out
yesterday, and two more today. OF
these they have relieved about six; but
instead of giving the schools their full
supply. they bring half a ton or 1900
| pounds at a time. They had all sum-
mer to fulfill their contracts, and there
is positively no excuse for their failure
! to do so.''
Dealers Blame Railways
On the other hand, the coal company
has word to say in the matter Ac-
cording to Mr.. Kellum the entire United
States has been short of black diamonds
during the past year, and at no time
was the company able to get enough TO
supply the demand. The coal used in
this part of the state is brought from
New Mexico, and 1t is due to the fall
ure of the Santa Fe to supply cars that
the coal supply has run so low.
Mr.. Kellum said last night: This talk
of closing the schools is all foolish
scare, and absolutely false. AT no time
have the schools suffered from lack of
fuel, and if the board will notify me of
shortage they never shall. We always
keep a sufficient supply of coal on
hand for schools, colleges, churches,
hospitals and hotels and they will not
run out. If the schools have only enough
for two days, they can have enough for
two days more tomorrow. We won't let
them run out.
I'VE have till June 30 to supply the
city schools with coal The contract
said nothing about November 15 We
haven't had the coal at any time to fill
the order completely, but time ana
aggain have gone out of our way to ac4
commodate the school board, putting
four horses on load to take 1t to a
bad place, and carrying the coal from
the street into the building, all without
extra cost"
1t is thought that the subject will
come up for discussion at the meeting
of the board Of education Monday
night.