Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-10-28
|. c. C.FEELSP|NCH
OF COAL SHORTAGE
Elevators Stop Running,
Government Departments
Have Scant Supply.
LACK OF CARS A FACTOR

| the elevators in the eieVen-Story COM
mission building had to stop running
because of lack Of coal to supply
power.
canvass Of the coal situation. as 1t
relates to the government departments
here. showed that there1s but hand
to-furnace supply in about half the de-
partmental buildings; and cold snap
probably would stop half the govern
ment activities just at this moment.
| interstate commerce commissioners.
after walking upstairs eleven flights to
their offices, sent out q hurry call for
an informal conference OF shippers.
to jar loose enough coal cars to carry
the waiting piles of anthracite and
bituminous to the frightened consumers.
Long Journey to Top.
The call for a shippers and railroad
mems conference probably would have
been issued. of course. had not the in
terstate commerce commission building
gone shy on coal today. but the thou
| sands of clerks and the scores of attor-
neys and others who visited tho build
ing today will testify to the fact that
it Is q long. tiresome journey by stair
way from the F street entrance Of the
building to the eleventh floor.
In the office of the chief clerk the
entire blame for the situation was put
on the American National Bank. and in
, the American National Bank, which
owns the building. the following expla-
THE interstate commerce commits
sion buildings coal situation is no DIFF
ferent in general from that of the other
government buildings. There Is a
serious coal shortage and dealers have
a hard time delivering their coal. We
have contracts with two dealers and
we will get coal from two sources 1t
is unfortunate that the elevators had
to close down today, but we will have
coal there today"
Situation Unchanged Today.
Coal dealers in the city today said
the situation was exactly the same to-
day as yesterday, with very little coal
in sight. Some of the biggest dealers,
however. have told their customers
they will be supplied without stint, al
though a different grade of coal may
have to be substituted for the kinds
specified in the original contract
j. so srsa. s,.ssaloe sea e Tine ac e
cars are JAaced at our mines for load
ing" said J. Maury Dove Company In
a letter to customers. Consequently
for the same period o. time no coal is
received by US in Washington. We
therefore feel 1t our duty to notify all
Of our contract customers and others
that we are endeavoring to purchase
coal outside of our regular channels of
supply"
panic-stricken. and want their entire sup
ply at once" said Jesse C. Suter, secre-
tary Of the Coal Merchants Association.
People who have never bought more
than a ton at one time now want six
or eight tons. This has greatly COM
plicated the problem"
$50 Tons for Departments Due.
The contractor who supplies coal to
the Treasury Department, the bureau
Of engraving and printing. the War.
State and Navy building, and the build
ings comprising the group of the Agri-
cultural Department has five carloads
Of fifty tons each on the way. To supply
the needs of these buildings. except for
a fast disappearing store. there Is no
other coal in sight.
The bureau of engraving and printing
has only 240 tons on hand. Under the
tons day is consumed. Fifty tons a
day is the maximum. and sharp
change to cold weather would eat up
the supply within a few days.
The building of the Treasury Depart
ment has boilers that consume hard
coal and boilers that consume soft coal
A small reserve Of -buckwheat coal was
nearly exhausted yesterday. when the
contractor found It possible to deliver
The situation at the Agricultural De-
partment is even more serious. There
is q supply sufficient to run only three
or four days. Yesterday there was only
days supply ahead. augmented by
the same delivery that helped out the
Treasury Department.
Serious enough. but not so grave. are
the conditions at the Interior Depart
ment, the Commerce Department and
the Labor Department. Some Of the bu-
reaus in separate buildings and inde-
| pendent commissions are in bad way
Department omcials Confer.
The coal shortage and its aspects as
regards the government buildings was
the subject of a conference, yesterday
between representatives of the various
administrative departments and bu-
reaus. The conference was for the pur-
pose of taking inventory of the avail
able supply and to determine the pros
pect.
| Inc meeting was hSlQ lu eAio ouiCo VI
Joseph L. Wilmeth. chief clerk Of the
| Treasury Department A representative
| of the contractor was present to ex-
plain the situation as regards the pros
pect of future deliveries Representa-
| tiveE OF other departments and bureaus
present were: Assistant Director Frank
e. Ferguson of the bureau OF engrav-
| ing end printing. Chief Clerks +. s.
Curtis. representing the Navy Depart
| ment, State and War Department; r. M.
Reese. Department Of Agriculture;
George G. Havenner. Commerce.; w. S.
| Inquiries were addressed to all the
Large dealers in the city for prices on
quantities Of coal in the event that gov
| ernment contractors were unable to
| meet the terms OF their agreements.
The response Of the dealers was that
hundred tons, which one dealer report
ed selling to the Treasury Department.
and a carload sold in the open market
| to the District government.
TT Is just as well to be frank about
the situation" declared Mr.. Wilmeth.
weather Is coming on. and there 10 not
enough coal in the city to meet any
considerable part of the demand. The
shortage is occasioned by the scarcity
of railroad cars.
Schools Poorly Supplied.
Twelve or nftesn public schools are
reported to have supplies OF coal on
hand only for three or four days. A
few deliveries Of coal are being made
today.
Ernest L TAurston. superintendent Of
schoole. e having 2 census Of the
y .(c0al3a1e8 on secQnd Pags5 -. J.
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