The San Francisco call., 1907-06-30
WISE PEOPLE WILL LAY
IN 4 SUPPLY Of COAL
Fuel Shortage Is Likely to
Reappear Again During
Coming Winter
USE ALL OF 1T NOW
Output of Mines Is Being
Taken as Fast as 1t
Reaches Markets
USE ALL OF IT NOW

That it would be wise thing for
people who have the price and the
storage space to lay in a supply of
coal before the winter sets in is the
opinion among those who are supposed
to know, as IT is reasonably certain
that the fuel question during the COM
ing winter will be fully as serious If
not more so than last year for those
who happen to be caught short on coal.
In the event of another scarcity in this
market which is not unlikely, no great
help can be expected from the Puget
sound country or from British Colum-
bia, as IT is believed that there will
be another car shortage, and besides
the demand for house consumption has
increased greatly In the north and the
heavy demand being made upon the
collieries by the railroads, ocean car
riers and manufacturing industries is
taking practically all that they have
to offer. The supply is also being cur
tailed by the fire IN the great Comox
mine, belonging to the Dunsmuir
estate and which in the past has always
been one of the principal sources Of
supply for our northern neighbors. In
the Puget Sound country another fam
>
cred inevitable unless conditions i'm
prove greatly and the commercial
bodies of Seattle are trying to find
means to relieve a situation, which they
think certain to result with the COM
ing winter.
The high prices for house and steam
coal established in San Francisco dur
ing the trying times of the famine in
1906 have not receded in the least, and
inv RXnPrf that
there will be any advance in rates, it
is absolutely certain that there will be
no decline. owing to the increased cost
of transportation. When California was
a great wheat producing state, foreign
vessels used to come here seeking car
goes for Europe and generally brought
ballast cargoes of coal, on which the
freight rates were merely nominal,
compared TO what they are now, when
there is less incentive for grain car
riers to come to this port, and these
increased rates are largely responsible
for the high prices prevailing on the
black diamonds.
With the supply from the north cur
tailed. as stated above, San Francisco
viii have TO depend largely upon Aus
tralia for coal this winter Anticipat-
ing this. the importers have been send
ing vessels in ballast from this and
other coast ports to Newcastle to get
coal. and while the maritime records
show a formidable feet of sailing and
steam vessels loading at the Austria
liam port, il is not certain that they
viii arrive IN time to keep the market
regularly supplied. tt is estimated that
100000 tons or more of Australian coal
viii be brought in here at intervals
between now and the early part of
1908. but 1t Will not all be used to sup
ply the local trade. as buyers in the
interior, profiting by their hard ex-
perience of last year, are trying to
prevent a repetition of last years
famine by ordering supplies ahead.
The local representative of large
Australian shippers, in speaking of the
situation and the outlook for the win
ter, said:
While coal importers are striving
to prevent a coal famine such as ex-
listed last year and are bringing in
heavy shipments for this purpose, it is
certain that even though there may be
a sufficiency in the market, there
will be none to spare, and when
the winter sets in, and with it the rush
to secure supplies commences, it is pos
sible that cargoes will not be available
just when they are most wanted. Such
a situation could be caused by various
happenings, such as accidents and de-
lays to vessels en- route and unavoid-
able detention at the port of loading.
In order to insure against such a con-
tingency it would be well for the
householders to lay in a supply with
out waiting for the advent Of winter.
say some time between August and
October, when fuel can be had and
conditions for teaming throughout the
city are comparatively favorable. 1t
is a significant fact that practically ali
of the coal now arriving is going into
consumption Immediately and that
there is no storing in progress against
wants in case Of an emergency in the
future"