The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-11-01
BLAME SHORTAGE IN
COAL ON DEALERS
Railroad Experts Say Merchants
Who Fail to Unload Their
Cars Are Responsible.

/. Railroad experts put the shortage
Of coal in the District up to the deal
era In coal who do not unload their
cars.
The railroads are preparing to ask
the Interstate Commerce Commission
demurrage charge against dealers
who do not unload their cars prompt
They want permission. to charge 50
day. q. for the fourth day and so on.
They also want to be able to give a
dealer credit for the rapid unloading
OF cars by permitting dealer to
ment IL he has unloaded the next pre-
vious shipment In half the time usual
ly allotted to the task.
The railroads admit there Is a
They admit that this would cause
q shortape of coal.
But they declare that the coal sup
ply OF Washington for the last month
has not fallen more than 20 per cent
ply of the kind OF coal the individual |
ho%Hseholder consumes Is CONCERNED: =,
seventy-five carloads OF coal In the
city today being unloaded. and II Is
stated that this is about the average
supply
ure OF the dealers to practice a spirit
or brotherly love and unload their cars
as soon as they get them" declared
the official Of one railroad today. THE
Washington have had all sorts of trou-
BILE in that direction, We have been
forced TO warn the dealers repeatedly
within tho last few weeks.
I'VE are short of coal cars. There
isn't any question about that. The mu-
nitions factories have required and are
consuming an enormous amount Of coal
Tnere Is a tremendous movement of all
sorts OF freight to the East which
naturally causes more or less car con-
But IL the dealers would unload their
cars they would get them back to the
to ana ss get So %s sbp
the coal In the District. In fact. We
don't ship half Of It, But the conditions
mat cover our shipments are the same
With the other roads. l have reason to
Two District Glasses.
There are two distinct classes Of coal
consumed in Washington. shipped In
largely by three railroads. The average
householder gets most of his coal from
the Pennsylvania districts, and the
apartment houses. the manufacturing
plants, and the Government get their
coal from Pennsylvania and West Vir-
ginta. The first Is the anthracite or
hard coal. and the second the bitumi-
nous. or soft coal.
In the Government departments soft
coal is used almost exclusively. The
railroad authorities state that the con-
tractors for the Government supply do
not keep a large reserve on hand, but
that they ship the coal from the mines
az II is needed by the Government.
They also state they do not believe the
dealers maintain piles at the mines. but
that they give their orders as they
need the supplies and that these sup
plies are shipped as the mines have
them.
) I Chief Clerk wirmeth. OF the Treasury
Department. who IL handling the coal
situation for all the Government de-
partments, said today that while no
coal was received In the District today
for the Government contracts. there are
seven carloads on the way from the
mines.
100000 Tons Year.
Mr. Wilmeth said that the Govern
ment contracts call for about 10000
tons of coal per year. exclusive of the
coal that Is used In the Navy Yard
mines by the Government. he under
stands. 1t Is Mr.. Wilmeth's opinion
that five carloads OF coal day would
be sufficient for the Government In
officials are now bending all their
efforts to secure this amount.
Mr.. Wilmeth further stated positive
" that the coal contractors for the
Government have no coal on hand
now. other, thanSthe six cars that came
In yesterday. He said the officials
have made an investigation of the
situation and know that there Is nc
more coal being received here for the
Government contracts than the news.
l.. NI