New Britain herald., 1915-12-14
COALSELL|NGAT$4O
 A TON IN ITALY
Price Continues to SOar-Jumped
 .$1Oa Ton in One Week

Correspondence of the Asso. Press.)
 Rome, Nov. 3O.-Coal is $40 a ton in Italy, and continues to soar. 1t went up $10 ton in one week. This nas become serious, and might be- come a decisive, war factor, so far as Italy is concerned, for coal is the fundamental element of Italian indus try and commerce, moving the rail- ways, running the factories, and keep ing up such public utilities as electric light and power plants, gas and water works, street railways and tramways, as well as for household heating and cooking, not only in Rome but all over Italy.
 Such phenominal 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 getting a 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, as the French and Belgian fields were near at hand. But now the French coal fields of Pas de Calais. and those of Belgium, have passed into control of Germany, the ally of Austria, with whom Italy is at war. Similarly Austria stretches as barrier between the Polish coalfelds and Italy. So that about the only supply left for Italy is England, where the Welsh cCal fields are hardly equal to the demand of Englands own fac tories and navy, and her nearby ally, France, without also supplying Italy's needs. And so coal is mounting $8 some time ago, then s10, then $15, then $20, $25, $30, and now $40 ton.
 Buy By Bag.
 People no longer buy coal by the ton, but by the bag and bag of coal which can be swung over the shoulder costs $7 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 snot help the railways and factories, and indus trial Italy is the worst sufferer from coal shortage and excessive price There has even been talk, since Italy
 
 ting coal from Germany, and for the possible exchange of some other arti- cles of mutual need. Importing coal from Japan is also being considered, but the transportation cost is so great that Japanese coal would probably not bring the price down much in Italy. Wood as a substitute is out of the question, for Italy's tree and tim Der supply is practically exhausted and even punches of twigs and faggots have become luxury at high price.
 The leading hotels of Rome have posted a notice stating that owing to the high price of coal the Association of Hotel Keepers have agreed to charge each guest one lira (20 cents) per day for the hotels expense for coal. This is in the large and import ant hotels known to Americans, where no such requirement. has ever before prevailed A family of five thus pays $30 extra per month for its share of the hotels coal.
 Appeal to America.
 American coal shippers nave 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 contra band of war-are said | to stand in the way of relief from that | quarter. So that one of the effects of | he European war is to make the high | price of coal a vital question for Italy | md the absense of any apparent rem edy is even more serious question:
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