The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1917-12-12
SUPPLY OF COAL
FOR ONLY FIVE
DAYS IN STATE
Usual Reserve at This Time
Of Year Would Last for
Is Days.

INDIANAPOLIS, Dec. Unreliable
estimates furnished the Indiana fuel
administration, show supply OF dom
este coal, on hand in Indiana, equal
to approximately the demand for five
days. Coal experts say that in normal
years at this time there is supply on
hand equal to the domestic demand
for At least rs days.
This comparison indicates on what
q small margin the coal requirements
of 1.-The state are being met at this time
aud 1t is certain that as the winter
weather hangs on, the margin will les
sen.
TIE coal administration for Indiana.
from the first, has taken the position
that its principal task is to see that
the home and household needs for
fuel are met and that no one is per
mitted to be cold. This task takes
precedent over furnishing coal for
factories. unless the latter are engag-
ed on war contracts OF vital import
ance to the couutry's military pro-
gram. The requests for relief coal
now being received in the state office
are being carefully scrutinized to see
that no factory coal is included in the
orders placed with the fuel admins
tration.
Factories throughout the state, en-
gagged in business not essential to the
war or to the usual channels. as it is
impossible at this time to handle their
needs as emergency coal. The big
question from now on to the end of
the winter is to keep the homes in In
diana warm.
John S. Souder. of Greenfield, has
been appointed fuel administrator for
Hancock county to take the place of
Charles Downing, who recently re-
signed on account of i'll health. The
place made vacant in Ohio county by
the resignation of Virgil Mcknight,
has been filled by the appointment of
Scott Thompson, of Rising Sun.
The Indiana fuel administration
should be in mighty good with the
school children. Mr.. Evans Woollen
the fuel administrator, has addressed
letter to Horace Ellis, the state SUI
perintendent of public instruction.
suggesting that it might be wise to
extend the Christmas holidays to three
weeks in the interest of coal conserv-
alton. Mr.. Woollen asks Mr.. Ellis
opinion Of the wisdom of acting along
this line. It is estimated that il
week were added to the holidays in
December and January and this week
was made up at the end Of the year
in June, when the weather is less Sc
we're. approximately 10000 tons of coal
could be saved.
II Mr.. Ellis finds it is practical to
act along this line, the extra week of
vacation will apply, probably. only to
the schools in the larger cities. The
rural school term, it is believed,
should not be heightened, since most
Of the rural school students Are need
ed for the early spring work on the
farms.
During the present cold weather
there has been received in The office
Of the state fuel administration, re.
quests for relief coal from commun.
tiles where it is certain that wood
could be substituted for emergency
use. This has led the fuel admins
tration to make another urgent appeal
70 the farmers of the state to use wood
as fuel.
There is not enough coal to go
round in Indiana. In several counties
the farmers have returned to burning