The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-12-14
FORTY DOLLARS A TON
FOR COAL IN ITALY
Price Is Still Soaring Posses
ses No Coal Mines at Home or in
Colonies

ROME, Nov. 80. Correspondence of
The Associated Press y Coal is $40
ton in Italy, and continues to soar. 1t
went up so ton in one week This
has become serious, and might be-
come a decisive, war factor, so far as
Italy is concerned, for coal is the fun
damental element of Italian industry
and commerce, moving the railways,
running the factories, and keeping up
such public utilities as electric light
and power plants, gas and water works,
street railways, as well as for house
held heating and cooking, not only in
Rome but all over Italy.
Such a phenomenal rise in the price
of coal has never before been known.
| To Italy the shortage is serious chiefly
| because Italy possesses no coal mines
| of her own at home or in the African
| colonies, so there is no outlook for get
| ting supply except from abroad, and
/ the foreign supply is in the hands of the
| enemy or taxed to its utmost capacity
! for its own needs. While there was no
war Italy needed no coal fields of her
own, as the French and Belgian fields
were near at hand. But now the French
/ coal fields of Pas de Calais, and those
! VI 4OGASAA nave pdSS6u 1HtO COnbIOI
| of Germany, the ally of Austria, with
whom Italy is at war Similarly Aus
tria stretches as barrier between the
Polish coalfelds and Italy So that
about the only supply left for Italy Is
| England, where the Welsh coal fields
are hardly equal to the demand CT
England s own factories and navy, and
her nearby ally, France, without also
supplying 'Italy's needs. And so coal
is mounting-$s some time ago, then
SO, then SO, then $50, $50, and now
$40 a ton.
People no longer buy coal by the ton
but by the bag. and a bag of Goa
which can be swung over the shoulder
, costs 81. This means Of course that
poor people can no longer buy coal and
can no longer keep warm. except as the
mild Italian climate may help them
But the climate does not help the rail
, ways and factories, and industrial
Italy is the worst sufferer from Goa
shortage and excessive price. There Ia.
even been talk, since Italy is not a
f war with Germany. of getting coal from
Germany, and for the possible ex
! change of some other articles of mu
tual need. Importing coal from japan
. Is also being considered, but the trans
4 portation cost is so great that Japanest
t coal would probably not bring the pric,
! down much in Italy. Wood as a sub
! stitute is out of the question, for tia
z VS. tree and timber supply is practic
f ally exhausted, and even punches o
twigs and faggots have become a luxu
1 ry at high price.
The leading hotels of Rome hav
t posted notice stating that owing t
n the high price of coal the Association
G of Hotel Keepers have agreed to eharg
l. each guest one Ira go cents) per da.
Il for the hotels expense for coal. Thi
!: is in the large and important hotel
: known to Americans. where no sue
4 requirement has ever before prevailed
n A family of five thus pays $50 extr
per month for its share of the he
{, tells coal.
e American coal shippers have bee
l. urged to enter the Italian field. But tn
! scarcity of ships and the high cost o
e transportation-due to the dangers 0