The Detroit times., 1917-02-03
Continuation Of Zero
Weather Will Mean
Hardship
EDISON SUPPLY
is VERY SHORT
Alex. Dow Urges Great
Economy In Use of
Light

DttiVAt hoh W ataet
this week. according TO the best
heating authorities In the city. Al
tho there Ia not q sufficient guam
tity of coal In the city TO justify
any celebrations there is enough TO
keep people warm II they will only
be reasonable. say the dealers.
Mr. Conger. from his coming
tower up In the Majestic building,
declares that IL will be very cold
Friday night. going to eight degrees
below zero in all probability. That
will mean several extra shovels OF
coal in each furnace. or about 5000
tons. dealers estimate.
With coal very scarce the dealers
are having a hard time trying TO
supply all who want Il. so The extra
demand complexities the situation.
Coal is not arriving In Detroit as
rapidly as II was hoped II, would az
ter the embargo thru the Toledo
gateway vas established. Small
quantities OF coal are arriving and
the dealers are doing their best TO
keep every body satisfied by deliver
ing to them a portion OF the amount
ordered. II the embargo is kept on
long enough IL Is believed IL will
have good effect, but AT present
the influence has been slight
Under the rules the embargo did
not take into consideration freight
cars that were in transit al the time
the embargo was established a week
ago. The result Is that the car
tracks are filled with thru cars
which started before the embargo
was established Those thru cars
have helped to keep the congestion
acute.
Meanwhile the coal situation here
has been improved only slightly. To
have any appreciable effect IL Is be
lieved that 1t will be necessary TO
continue the embargo for al least
two weeks more.
George r. Barr. OF the United
Fuel a. Supply company, says that
his concern is having a great deal
~ difficulty in trying 10 supply the
regular patrons. He declares that Il
Is costing the coal concerns more
money for coal "a a result OF the
conditions and thai -eyap-. the the.
coal dealers are prepared to lose
money. they canno, supply the de-
mand Mr. harr believes. however.
that IL consumers would be content
20 get little coal instead OF want.
ing the bins filled TO the ton II would
M; -be long until things righted
themselves.
According 10 Mr.. Barr. certain
grades OF coal are costing three or
four times rs much az In the early
fall. but the price to the consumer
has not been raised materially. He
said the advanced price Is due to
the shortage OF labor and It's high
price as well as 10 the fact that
Europe is bidding high for the out
put OF American mines and the own.
ers naturally are selling their coal
where they can get the most for IL.
Dow Urges Economy
The Detroit Edison company is In
precarious position again. II has
supply OF fuel on hand barely suf-
ficient for three days, so that un.
less Il gets additional coal within
three days lot OF people will have
10 go 10 bed in the dark. For "A
week or more this company has
been using fuel more rapidly than it
received IL. so that the normal four
or nve-day supply has been cut 10
three. Alexander Dow, head OF the
concern, urges people TO economic
In their use OF electricity as much
as possible.
Frank r. Reeves, secretary of the
Detroit Coal exchange. says the EN-
barge has helped slightly, hut he be
lieyes II should be kept on for al
least another week. He suggests.
however. that IL might be raised for
day at a time from time TO time.
In order that the movement OF gen
eral freight might be kept up. Be
fore the coal shortage can be re-
lieved entirely. however. IL Is his
opinion that fully two weeks or
more will elapse.