Evening journal., 1910-05-20
UNCLE SAM BURNS
BIG COAL PILE
Consumes Nearly $7,OOO,OOO
Worth of Fuel Annually


Uncle Sam is a great coal consumer
bulletin has Just been issued from the
Geological Survey, dealing with the
subject of purchase of cial by the Gov
ernment. II appears from the Sur
vey's statement that the Government
purchases annually from S6,50OOOO to
$1,000, 600 worth of fuel. This sum in
cludes the cost of delivery and of
stowage. The Navy, War; Treasury,
Interior and Commerce and Labor De
partments are large consumers Of coal
The Treasury Department is a large
consumer Of coal delivered in wagons
for the fuel required for postohces,
custom-houses. United states court
houses. marine hispitals. mints and
other Federal buildings throughout the
country. The Treasury also buys for
the Revenue Cutter Service.
The Navy Department is large car
lot consumer, as we'll as a purchaser
of large cargoes of coal for foreign
delivery. The Bureau of Supplies and
l@counts of this Department purchases
the larger quantities for the ships Of
the navy and the car lots for use in the
navy-yards.
chases of coal for the many forts and
army posts in the United States and
foreign possessions and for the ships
in the army transport service. The
car-lot consumers are the Ordnance
Department, which buys coal for the
arsenals. and the Engineer Corps which
buys fuel for use in river and harbor
improvements and other construction
work
Coal for use in the Canal Zone is pur-
chased by the Panama Railway Com
pany of New York, free on board. at
an Atlantic port in the United States.
being shipped at present from Nor
folk
Department OF Commerce and Labor
coal is purchased for the vessels of the
Coast and Geodetic Survey and for the
immigration service. AT the Ellis Island
immigration station, New York, 10000
tons, mostly bituminous coal. are
bought annually. Fuel for the light
houses is purchased by this Depart
ment. the service being divided into IS
districts for each Of which a separate
contract is made. Each of these con-
tracts covers 1000 to $4,000 tons and
calls for anthracite or bituminous coal
in small otis.
The Interior Department is a large
consumer OF coal i'm Washington, where
it puchases annually 10000 tons of BIZ
luminous and 1000 tons OF anthracite
for the Government Hospital for the
Insane Outside Of Washington this
Departments most important contracts
are those for coal to be delivered to
T,1f.,, -,b.-fo a,T ananrfoa
Not only is the Government a large
consumer and purchaser Of COAL but
it buys coal according to its heat value,
as ascertained by tests. Until recent
years coal consumers purchased coal
merely on the statement of the dealer
as to it's Quality. relying on his in
Integrity and on the reputation of the
mine or district from which the coal
was obtained 1T is surprising" says
! the Geological Survey in its bulletin,
! that the important question whether
value was being received for the money
expnded was not sooner seriously con-
/ sidered." It adds:
THE purchase Of coal by specification
is an important step toward the con-
servation OF our natural mineral re-
sources. for it results in an increased
use OF the lower grades OF coal. The
poorer Goals find a market by compet-
ing with the better grades, not as to tho
price per ton. but as to the cost of an
equal number Of heat units"
Recently the Government has done It's
buying Of coal on specifications worked
out from careful tests Of heat value
The results have been successful. espe-
where coal is bought for the public
| t.,ulfrvu ~ tho TTnftad States