The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-09-01
WARN OF WINTER
COAL AGE
Dealers Tell Governor Capper
That There Will be None
at Any Price.
MANY KANSAS BINS ARE EMPTY
Consumers Have Not Been Buying
During Summer Months as Usual,
Merchants Declare.

Merchants Declare.
Topeka-Kansas coal dealers told
Governor Capper recently it didn't
make much difference what the price
Of coal was next winter, the people
would be without coal and could not
buy it at any price. They told OF
great piles Of coal stored by the rail-
roads and big industries, which with
the demands for coal for industrial
purposes and the demands of the gov
eminent and Allies would make it al
most impossible for any dealer to sup
ply the demand for coal this winter.
One Topeka dealer said he did not
book a single order for coal in June.
All said the summer business was
the worst they had had in years.
The dealers pointed out they add
ed about onefourth the cost of coal
to cover their overhead and delivery
expenses in determining the selling
price. The coal cost 1928 to $3.50 at
the mine. The freight was $1.25 to
$I3S, the shrinkage about per cent.
This made the coal cost about $5 on
the cars in Topeka and the coal was
being sold at $6.25 to $3.50 a ton.
The dealers did a great deal better
at the inquiry than the operators. as
the dealers brought their books with
them. They showed where coal had
been purcased a year ago at $1.85
ton at the mine and the same dealer
was paying 1925 a ton for the same
coal from the same mine this month.
A Good Apple Crop.
Secretary o. F. Whitney of the state
horticultural society, made the recent
tour of the orchard sections of Kan
sas with the big orchard growers of
the state. The tour started at Arkan-
sas City and followed up the Arkan-
sas river to Wichita, and thence to
Hutchinson. From the latter place
Council Grove and the big orchards
near there were visited. Thence the
automobile tourists travelled to OF
tawa, around by Baldwin, to Leaven-
worth and Atchison counties, and
winding up in Doniphan county. Mr..
Whitney says Kansas is going to have
a fine apple crop and that the fruit
will be very choice. He says the
northeastern Kansas orchards, where
the owners handle them scientifically,
are in fine condition. There the apple
growers have sprayed several times
during the spring and the result is
smooth and well-developed fruit.
Don't Sell Stock Hogs.
DO not sell your stock hogs. You
can find some way to mature them.
It's as easy to ship corn from Iowa
or Missouri to Kansas as it is to ship
Kansas hogs to Missouri or Iowa"
This is the advice given Kansas farm
ers by J. H. Mercer, state live stock
commissioner and secretary Of the
Kansas Cattlemen's Association. Be-
fore the drouth was broken many
Iowa and Missouri farmers came to
Kansas to pick up stock hogs cheap.
The Kansas farmers were stampeded
over crop conditions and many of
them sold their young hogs. Then
the rains came, pastures revived and
the corn crop perked up. Now they
are sorry they sold. Iowa and Mis-
souri, are still after more hogs and it
is to head them off that Mr.. Mercer
threw out his word of advice to Kan
sas farmers.
To Plead for Farm Exemption.
Officers and representatives of the
Kansas Live Stock Association went
to Washington recently to impress
upon President Wilson the patriotism
OF the men OF draft age who prefer
farm life to life in the trenches. Mem
bers of committee will urge exemp
ton of actual farmers, it was said
and will discuss food control meas
ures with Herbert C. Hoover. w R
Stubs, president of the association
will head the committee.
Kansas to Calf Home Guard.
The war department has notified
the adjutant general of the state tina
beginning on September 1, no fed
eral troops can be spared to protec
the property of the railroads and bi,
industrial concerns in this state Al
troops now doing guard duty will b,
withdrawn at that time. To taxi
over this work when the fedora
troops leave, the state will organic
home guards. The government vii
supply the guards with rifles and othe
equipment. Governor Capper will en-
guards In all the principal towns an,
counties of the state.
+ + +
Who Gets the Difference7
Between coal prices at Kansas Cit
and at Topeka there is a differenc
of from 81 to $3.50 a ton on the CON
moner grades. with the higher price
current in Topeka. The difference i
freight rates from the southern KaI
sas fields to the two cities is 1
cents.
E. C. Ross, for four years teache
OF economics and football coach in tn
Lawrence high school, has been mad
chief of the civil service bureau {
the Philippine Islands.
r r r