Los Angeles herald., 1907-01-17
BAD ROADS KEEP
COAL BINS EMPTY
DEALERS SAY MUD PREVENTS
HEAVY TEAMING
Hundreds Of Fuel Orders Filled Yes
terday, Though Stock Is Small.
Schools on Short
Rations

The impossible condition Of Los
Angeles roads is, coal dealers declare,
almost as much responsible for the In
ability Of customers to get coal as is
the small supply ON hand.
Nearly every train coming i'm from
the southern lines Of the Santa Fe road
bring one or more carloads Of the much
sought fuel but the mired streets have
hindered the work Of distribution so
seriously that residents of the outly-
ing districts are in as bad strait as
they were when the supply was at its
lowest.
Dealers wagons are overburdened in
hauling half the amount of coal they
can ordinarily carry when the roads are
in condition, but IN spite Of the disad-
vantages under which they are work.
ing the wholesalers are materially les
sening their files of orders.
j. G. Lawrence, division sales agent
Of the American Fuel company, said
last night that there were a hundred
or more dealers who had filled an aver
age of eighty orders yesterday before
Ii a. m. The work of the afternoon ap-
preclably increased this total, and a few
days of such act'-ity will do wonders
toward supplying those who are anX-
iously waiting their turn at the COM
pany's coal pile.
Stocks Are Small
There is not, however, a sufficient
quantity of coal now in the city to sup
ply everyone with all he desires. Coal
is coming in daily, almost hourly but
not all the retail dealers have been
supplied
A goodly amount will shortly arrive
| from Sam Diego, where the steamer
Tordensko1d made port yesterday. This
steamer set sail Jan. 10 from Nanai-
mo with cargo o. 5000 tons of coal,
! large part Of which will be at once ship
| ped to Los Angeles. If fair weather
continues for a few weeks the situation
! will again be under control Manager
| Lawrence said last night.
! IF nothing occurs to interfere with
the moving OF freight the shortage will
be entirely relieved within the next
| few days"
Schools Suffer
At public school headquarters the
! feeling toward coal men is not very
charitable one Members who have
| charge of the heating of the schools are
wearing the tops of their heads smooth
| trying to discover ways and means OF
keeping the schools of the city warm.
A short time ago when it became a
! question of closing dozen SCHOOLS OF
of getting coal from outside sources,
the officials chose the latter course and
considered themselves fortunate in be-
ing able to secure ninety tons of iron
coke from Lee Chamberlain & Co. This
tided them over a bad spell and they
| were in hopes that the Diamond Coal
! company. which holds the contract for
furnishing the schools with coal, would
put in a sufficient supply, but their
hopes have been rudely shattered.
The Diamond Coal company, Foreman
Downie says, is putting in an average
of two or three tons of coal day. ana
five tons Is the largest amount they de-
lvered in one day. The coke now on
hand will last for possibly two weeks
more. after which an additional supply
will be needed. The iron coke is not
available for all kinds of stoves and
furnaces, being useful only where the
furnaces are equipped with fans.
May Use Coke
The Lee Chamberlain Co. has recently
received a cargo of gas coke which can
be used in any stove and If the Dia-
mond Coal company does not supply
fuel the school officials Will purchase
this for the schools. Where the coke
is used it is mixed with coal in the
ratio of half and half.
The question was brought up last
night at IHe DOdlu HiCSIlhS ~
whether the committee would charge
the difference in price to the coal COM
pany. AS the contract price of the coal
was about SIS and the school officials
are paying SIT for coke, the difference
is very appreciable.
TO this question Chairman Stilson
answered: "That's the theory. If we
were hedging on President Kellam tne
way he is on US, he would soon get
after u.s.
DR.. Moore stated that the schools
were being kSSt open on the coke they
had bought, and Page agreed to furnish
purchases of coke from outside sources
with the understanding that 1t was TO
be taken only as last resort.
Mr.. Stilson is put in the awkward po-
sition of a man trying to remedy the
mistakes of the last years board which,
it is asserted, should have seen to 1t
that the coal was put in before the cold