The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-07-08


for otherwise. But the important
thing is the amount OF heat it con-
tains.
Standard OF Heat Units.
The government soon learned the
number of heat units that should be-
contained by good grade of coal.
selling at . certain price. This was
taken as standard. When bids were
asked, 1t was on the basis of given
number of heat units. specified
amount Of ash. an absence of water.
1t would be impossible for coal de-
livery to hit exactly the mark In
heat content. If It is found to contain
more heat than the specification calls
for, 1t is paid for at a specified pre-
miums II 1t contains less. there is
a sliding penalty which makes an
equitable adjustment possible. The
buyer pays for what he gets and gets
what he pays for.
The government soon found in buy
ing coal under specification that It
was advisable to make special
study of the plant in which the coal
was to be burned before ordering the
fuel for 1t. Volatile coal. for In
stance, must not be bought for low
fire box. There were other fireboxes
burned without making smoke. Il
might be advisable to remodel plafe
so that a more economical coal could
be used. At the state, war depart
ment building. for instance, 1t was
found that the use of stokers would
make possible the purchase OF
cheaper grade of coal. and result in
a saving of $4,000 a year.
The first year specifications were
written, tests showed that coal de-
livered for use at Panama was not up
to the standard, and the producers
were paid 100000 less than they
would have received but for that test.
The experts soon pointed out where
the government in its departments at
Washington could save $4,000 al
wear by the simple substitution of BIZ
luminous for anthracite coal. The
government for all its uses consumes
So, 100000 worth of coal a year. The
results of buying on specifications inn
mediately reduced that expenditure
100000.
Others Doing 1t.
These demonstrations of the cor
rect methods of buying coal are ex-
pected to prove of greater benefit
when used by the people than have
accrued directly in money saved to
the government. Municipalities have
come quite generally to write speci-
fcations for their coal, and test 1t
upon delivery. Industrial plants have
come to the conclusion that it is as
unbusinesslike to spend thousands of
dollars for coal without any specif-
catiol1 as it would be to order con-
tractor to build a house with no
other directions than that it was to-
he merely good house.
The factory man. who burns coal
has come to have a survey of his plant
made by fuel expert, who points out
the sort of coal best suited to 1t. II
this is not an economical coal it may
be advisable to change the plant.
There may be cheap Goals available
that could be used under these con-
ditions. Finally the needs of the
plant are measured from the stand
point of fuel available. Specifications
are written and bids are asked. The
plant owner cannot be cheated, for
the coal dealer will be penalized for
the failure of his product to measure
up. The dealer will not make bad
bargain, If he supplies fuel that is
a little better than the specifications.
for he will get bonus. The whole
deal is on the basis of absolute fair
ness.
The Poor Householder.
The householder is more COM
pleteIy at the mercy of the coal dealer
than is any other consumer. He has
no way of knowing how much water
he is sold In his ton of coal, nor
how much dirt or slyte it contains. II
he finds he has acquired bad ton
he is unlikely to resort to the incon-
yenience of having the coal taken out.
M he "a
which prevent his attempting to burn
a cheaper coal. 1t might be possible
for him to burn it without smoke II
he knew how, but he does not. The
height of the fire box is usually the
controlling element in the produc-
ton of smoke also. If the fire box
is high enough combustion is COM
plete and there is no smoke.
The general tendency is toward
getting the coal business on such a
basis that the dealer will grade his
Goals in accordance with tests, and
sell them accordingly. The consumer
would then buy so many heat units,
and pay for them alone; not for tie
water or slate or sulphur that hap
pened to accompany them. 1t is at
present provided by law that he who
sells fertilizer must plainly state the
chemical contents of that product.
The tendency is growing out of the
governmental study of fuel values to
insist on statement OF the heat
units sold by the fuel man before
he takes the consumers money. AT
present, large consumers are protect
ing themselves by testing the coal
and determining these units. The
experts hold that the burden of max
ing the tests should fall ON the coal
- y = Il ~ $3.50