Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-11-11
COAL SHORTAGE SERIOUS CONDITION;
CAUSES BRINGING ABOUT SITUATION

It, is equally true that the actual de-
nand Is far In excess Of the actual
production. 1t il impossible, therefore,
to rely upon the labor shortage alone
T., explain the coal situation. II Is
due to something else.
THE east pays more attention to
cotton than does the west. The raw
cotton is turned into cotton cloth in
the Carolinas and New England, in the
main. In the Carolinas the cotton
mills have depended for some years
upon water power. Last summer there
were floods which either damaged the
plants or concentrated the fall OF wa
ter into such short period 1t could
not be controlled At any rate. the
water power plants are not sufficient.
The auxiliary steam plants have been
trying to carry all the load. That load
is far greater now than ever before.
That is to say, the Carolinas have re-
Gently been sending their cotton
abroad as a manufactured article,
whereas they used to ship it as raw
material, Ae least they have been try
ing unusually hard to manufacture the
cotton here, being driven to 1t by
home needs. We are told that cotton
mills were running, at this time year
ago to 10 per cent of their normal
capacity. Today they are running to
$50 per cent Of normal capacity; they
do this by double shifting. This means
there has been 100 per cent increased
use of power But instead of that
power being produced wholly or in
part by water, it has nearly all been
produced by coal. Right there we
have factor which calls for several
r.lll;on tons of coal--perhaps 5000, 900
tons will cover It.
ALSO, New England has been doing
much the same thing. 1t has been
COUPLING up on cotton goods produc-
ton. 1t was deprived Of the water
power upon which, in sections it de-
pended. 1t has been trying to do a
tremendously bigger job with coal,
That further expands the demand.
These facts about cotton produc-
ton are told because it indicates what
is the ordinary manufacturing busi-
ness of the east is doing. That 49,
America has been cut off from her big
supply of most common things coming
from abroad Not being able to i'm
port, we have set out to make them
for ourselves. And. in the making OF
them we have used tremendously in
creased quantity Of coal. Indeed, the
writer has been told that in the sec
ton east OF Harrisburg and Buffalo
and north of the Potomac river. there
have been started enough new FAC
tories and enough old factories Of an
ordinary kind have been revived tc
create 10 per cent increase in the de-
mand for steam coal. That accounts
for larger consumption OF between
Il, 0OO, 900 and 20000,O00 tons OF coal
per year right there. When tie fig
ures begin TO pie up That way i 's
not surprising there ls serious short"
age Of coal in the east"
Comparison Of Local Prices.
A comparison OF local prices for coal
with the prices for thu same grades
year ago. gives more concrete idea
OF the s1tuatioa thaS confronts local
cdnsumers.'
A year a3o central Illinois lump COAL
d fa1oAtS sofv cost locally. sold Tor
s4.H per tori This year # commands
IS. soatherae Illinois lump last year
solA for $3.50 on the local market
This yea= IL brings $6.75- Hard coal
last year cost 1900: this year &11.7b,
Steam cosl. Ia car load deliveries. cost
!os: yeae sl.st; THE year 81. Coke Is
now selling al a 75~ssns2 advance per
ton over last year. #t.&