Omaha daily bee., 1916-08-30
OMAHA IS READY
TO FACE STRIKE
< OF RAILROAD men
Would Not Suffer for Want of
Something to Eat--There
is Plenty of Meat and
Flour.
WATER FOR FOUR MONTHS
Electric Lights for Several
Weeks and Street Cars
For Three Weeks.
PEOPLE LAYING IN COAL
WATER FOR FOUR MONTHS
PEOPLE LAYING IN COAL

fGOF LIZ LA 1NT IN SVA1
Omaha need have little tear of star.
vation in case of railroad strike, be.
cause there is plenty OF meat right al
hand and there is also over 100000
bushels OF wheat stored in Omaha
elevators which could not be hauled
away in case OF strike. There is
enough coal at the water works plant
| to pump water for five months and
the light plant and street cars could
be run for several weeks.
Omaha would be in darkness so far
as electric lights are concerned after
FIVE or six weeks of railroad strike,
on account of the lack of coal to fur
nish power. That is the length OF
time the Omaha Electric Light &
Power company's present supply of
steam coal would last according to
General George H. Harries, president
of the company OF course, he says
the plar could burn other soft Goals
in case of emergency and granting
that the supply of other Goals were
not consumed by that time in other
ways.
Three Weeks for Street Cars.
The street railway company has
enough coal to run about two or three
weeks, according to Assistant Cen
eral Manager Leussler. "rShave put
in call to Kansas City this morning"
said Mr.. Leussler, to send us all the
coal they have to spare there, so we
may be better fixed still in few days
In regard to other supplies we are
all right, for we carry large stock of
all kinds OF supplies in our store room
But when the coal is exhausted,
we're through
Four Months for Water.
The Metropolitan Water District of
Omaha has supply of coal that
would last four months, it was said at
the office this morning. Assurance
was given that there would be no
shortage of water supply due to the
strike for that length OF time at least.
The water department purchased
1000 tons this month
City Well Supplied With Coal.
While the coal supply in the city
is not sufficient to carry over during
the winter in the event the railroads
should be tied up by strike, it is
greater than it has ever been before at
this season of the year.
During the last month, in anticipa-
ton of the possibilities OF strike, the
dealers have been laying in extra large
supplies of coal and thousands OF con-
sumers who previously have been
buying in ton lots, as the immediate
needs became apparent, have laid in
their winter stocks. Then, too, the
railroads are urging dealers to buy
and get stocks in as early as possible.
AS result, since a couple OF weeks
ago, the roads have been giving coal
trains the right of way on the west
bound freight business. The lines op-
Grating out Of the Illinois, Iowa, Kan
sas and Oklahoma coal fields have
been swamped with business, handling
enormous quantities of coal daily.
Victor White of the Victor White
Coai company says: "The future of
the coal business is very uncertain.
Coal dealers don't know what is like
ly to happen in their line OF business
from one day to another. They are
greatly worried over the coal situation,
owing to labor troubles and other
conditions, such as car shortage at the
mines"
Coal is arriving, but Mr.. White says
he can get no guarantee regarding the
delivery OF coal in the future, and
knows no more about the future of
the business in Omaha, than the
smallest dealer. He has just returned
from Philadelphia and the coal men
at the mines tell him that this state
of affairs has been brought about by
labor and other conditions.
THE problem that confronts the
coal dealer this year." he says, "is not
how to sell coal but how to get coal.
There is good sized supply Of an
thracite coal on hand at the base of
supply at the present time, but when
this is exhausted, there is no telling
where more will come from il any
thing happens
Plenty OF Meat.
The meat supply in Omaha might
not grow really serious for very
long time, according to those in touch
with the situation. There is enough
local stuff in the county and surround
ing territory" said General Manager
Howe of the Armour Packing COM
pany, that could be brought TO the
yards in wagons to supply Omaha
with meat indefinitely. The territory
tributary to Omaha could sustain it.
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