Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-10-31
COAL DEALER HAS WORD.
Blame for Shortage in Coal Suppl,
Not With Dealer, But Consumer.
l.,liIa1. ,,i1nas- llnnuhlica1l

| Editor Times Republican:
An article on the first page OF your
paper, Wednesday, under chicago
date. and headed Roads Predict Coal
Famine Declare Dealers Have F'ailed
10 Heed Repeated Warnings polilts
out q very hazardous situation IN that
part of our country remote from ths
mines or the lake ports of distrlp'
ton. but does not place the blame J
such conditions where it really
longs.
Two years ago everyone was ~ 'oI
fear and pity for the people OF or.ii
Dakota and other parts of the Horth
west for the suffering, privatioh' ana
even death that resulted from lhe
scarcity of fuel in that region. ana
at that time the newspapers oHered
about equal censure to the railroads
and the dealer or retailer, but never q
word about the responsibility of the
one most vitality interested, viz: The
consumer.
The dealer usually has all the stor-
age capacity for which he can obtain
space along n sidetrack, and AT the
most this is only sufficient to insure
him supply during the Intervals be
tween shipments under normal condl-
tions. With the advent of cold wealth
el.. SHOWS and blizzards. and the con-
seuuent DELAYS or abolition OF railroad
traffic. which always bring an m
creased demand. the dealers STOCK.
which to him seemed large Il short time
before. is very soon depleted. and he is
blamed for "hoosting" the price be-
cause in the natural depletion OF his
stock the cheaper grades are exhausted
first. and while the. consumer may be
forced 10 pay higher price per ton
for the coal he gets. the dealer makes
no more profit than if he sold the
cheaper coal. as coal profits are US
ualIy figured on q per ton basis rather
than percentage basis: and venture
the assertion that not In one case IN
one hundred does the coal dealer take
advantage of famine prices" ana
neither do famine prices" mean larger
profits. but rather. very much smaller
profits, because of the sale of fewer
tons The average dealer in coal VIII
be found to be about on q par with
the average tradesman or other in
dividual, in the matter of business
ethics. common honesty, or human
taranis1n.
This brings us to the consideration Of
the responsibility Of the one who is
deeply interested-the consumer. He
should realize that the retailer. with
storage capacity Of from 100 to 500
tons, can not store coal for a Whole
community that requires from 1000 to
5000 tons, and supply them at any
time and under all conditions. 1t is an
absolute physical impossibility. He
would then see the necessity for dong
his part to provide for his own COM
fort and convenience. and in some in
stances. his very existence. No fam
| ily that is in locality dependent upon
railway transportation for its fuel sup
ply should let the month of October
go by without l4oviding fuel sufficient
for it's needs for three months. and this
amount should be maintained at least
until March 1. And the householder in
such remote districts as North Dakota,
who neglects this duty, has no one to
blame but himself for what overtakes
him and his family. and in the event
Of their death he has contributed as
largely to it by his negligence and I'M
providence as if he had neglected to
provide house to live in, or clothing
for the body.
| Right here in Marshalltown. not over
, seventy five miles from the mines,
every drop in temperature brings such
a flood of orders as to render Sll ordin-
airy delivering facilities absolutely In
adequate to supply the wants of those
who have less than twelve hours sup
ply of fuel on hand. The stoppage of
railroad trains, by reason of the in
clement weather, would in five days
time exhaust the supplies Of all the
dealers, and yet how many, even here,
provide for this short time.
SO let us put the blame for condi-
tons where 1t rightfully belongs and
on the one most vitality interested. and
not attempt to shift it to the railroads
or the dealer. Let each consumer get
his supply when the weather is fair
and conditions favorable. In this way,
and no other, can suffering and pri-
walton be obviated in the great north
rocrnotfII111r