The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1912-10-19
HARD COAL FAMINE
FEARED IN WEST
Dealers Say They Face the
Greatest Anthracite Fam
inc in Many Years.

With the advent of cold weather
the entire west will be face to face
with a serious shortage in anthracite
coal. There is not a reserve fund on
hand now large enough to furnish one
scuttle of fuel to every consumer, ac-
cording to conservative estimates of
dealers. With every mine working to
it's full capacity to supply the present
demand when real winter weather ar
rives, grave conditions will be inevi-
table
While the large dealers declare that
the situation will call for no rise in
prices, as far as the operators are con-
cerned, panicky conditions which may
arise in various sections are apt to
cause a fluctuatiOn in prices among
small dealers. The operators started
the season with a handicap of two
months lack of production, due to the
wage controversy with the miners last
spring, and it has been impossible to
completely overcome this because OF
tory.
A feeling of security existed among
small consumers, as d result of
statement recently issued by President
Baer of the Philadelphia and Reading
company, to the effect that the pro-
ducing companies have on hand sur
plus of 100000 tons. Local dealers
| doubt this statement. This was point
ed out to be less than weeks produc-
ton, however, by Charles l.. Dering,
general manager of the Chicago sales
agency of the Delaware, Lackawanna
and Western Coal company, which pro-
duces 100000 of anthracite yearly
nearly one sevents of the entire pro-
duction of the country.
Reports Misleading
"Mr. Baer's utterance, proving he
made the statement" said Mr.. Dering,
has had the effect that wherever
there is a retail coal dealer, in however
small a hamlet, handling anthracite
coal, his customers have rushed in up
on him, flourishing the interview in
his face as contradictory to his claim
! that coal was sea rec and that it was
/ impossible for him to give them suf-
ficient supply.
! "The facts are that anthracite coal
/ is being produced and carried to mar
/ ket as fast as the railroad companies
/ can move it and the dealers distribute
it. Commentors on the situation ap-
parently have not taken cognizance
of the fact, however, that far beyond
the shortage caused by the two
months suspension of work, more than
half of which already has been made
up by the great efforts of the opera
tors, there is that enormous and i'm
possible of estimate shortage which
existed in the tens of thousands in
the supplies of dock, yards, dealers
sheds, wholesale and retail, throughout
the country, and in the consumers
bins, consequent upon the exception
ally severe weather of last winter.
West Hardest Hit.
"It is unquestionably true that there
will not be enough anthracite coal this
winter to supply those who wish tc
burn it. 1t is wholly impossible that
the wants and demands of the public
for hard coal will be filled. Every re
tail dealer is short today-he will con
tinue to be short-in fact, it may be
stated confidently that the situation
will be more severe in the West a,
least, with the advent of cold weather
: 81 would not be an alarmist. Thai
: would not gain the anthracite shipper
anything, but would simply add to his
troubles. 1t is only fair however, tina,
shippers confidence in order that the
consumer may take such steps as seem
to him best to provide temporary
substitute to tide him over the days
when he will need a fire to keep him
warm and cannot get anthracite"