Evening star., 1915-12-15
SHORTAGE OF COAL
SERIOUS IN ITALY
Forty Dollars a Ton and Continues
to Soar-Populace Now
Buys by the Bag.
Correspondence of the Associated Press

Correspondence Of the Associated Press
ROME, December Goal is $40
ton in Italy and continues to soar II
went up $40 ton in one week This
mas become serious, and might be-
come decisive, war factor, SO far as
Italy is concerned, for coal is the fund
amental element of Italian industry and
commerce, moving the railways, run
ming the factories and keeping up such
public utilities electric light and
power plants, gas and water works.
street railways and tramways, as well
mot only in Rome, but all over Italy
Such phenomenal rise in the price
of coal has never before been known
To Italy the shortage is serious chief
ly because Italy possesses no coal
mines of her own at home or in the Af-
! rican colonies. SO there is no outlook
for getting supply except from
abroad, and the foreign supply is in
the hands of the enemy or taxed to its
utmost capacity for it's own needs
While there Was no war Italy needed
no coal fields of her own, q g the French
and Belgian fields were near at hand
But now the French coal fields of Pas
de Calais. and those of Belgium have
pa ssed into control of Germany, the
| ally of Austria, with whom Italy is at
war. Similarly, Austria stretches as a
barrier between the Polish coal fields
and Italy. SO that about the only sup
| ply left for Italy is England. where
the Welsh coal fields hardly equal
to the demand Of Ensland's own fac
tories and navy. and her nearby ally,
! France, without also supplying Italy'S
needs. And so coal is mounting-SS
| some time ago, then $40, then SIS. then
| $50. SIS. $50, and now $40 a ton
| Industries Worst Sufferers.
! People no longer buy coal by the ton,
! but BY the bag, and bag of coal
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 warn, except as
| the mild Italian climate may help
/ them. But the climate does not help
/ the railways and factories, and in
dustTial Italy is the worst sufferer from
! coal shortage and excessive price.
! There has even been talk, since Italy
/ Is not at war with Germany, of getting
| coal from Germany, and for the pos
/ sb!. exchange of some other articles
| Of mutual need. Importing Goa! from
Japan is also being considered but the
! transportation cost is 50 great that
Japanese coal would probably not bring
! the price down much in Italy. Wood
a substitute is out Of the question, for
( ualy's tree and climber supply is prac-
| ticalIy exhausted. and even lunches OF
twilss and fa2gots have become "A lux
ury at high price
| Hotels Charge Extra for Coal.
| The leading hotels of Rome have
! posted a notice stating that owing to
! the high price of coal the Association
of Hotel Keepers has agreed to
! change each guest one Ira GO cents)
/ per day for the hotels expense for
! coal This is In the large and impor-
/ iant hotels known to Americans, where
no such requirement has ever before
| prevailed. family of five thus pays
$50 extra per month for its share OF
| the hotels coal.
| American coal shippers have been
| urged to enter the Italian field. But
/ the scarcity Of ships and the high cost
| of transportation-due to the dangers
| of coal as contraband of warfare said
| to stand in the way of relief from that
| quarter. So that one of the effects of
| the European war is to make the high
| price of coal vital question for Italy
| and the absence of any apparent rem
| edy is even a more serious question.