The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1917-12-12

USE SOFT COAL
Go to Bed Early; Use Wood When
Possible; Don't Hoard

Geo. A. Patton, Chairman Of the
Redwood County Fuel Committee is
in receipt of the following letter from
John F. McGee, Federal Fuel Admin
istrat0r for Minnesota. Mr.. McGee
| is spending his entire time handling
the fuel-shortage situation, and his
letter is so full of significant and au-
thoritative information that its care
full reading is urged by every one.
Notwithstanding repeated warn
ings sent out from this Office in the
past in regard to the fuel conditions
in this state, the idea seems gener-
ally prevalent among fuel dealers in
each community that notwithstanding
the scarcity of coal they can by some
manner of means not only receive a
supply of coal equal to that Of last
year, but largely in excess of it. IF
the people in local communities share
this belief it spells disaster before
next spring arrives.
Ask Too Much.
To illustrate, from one point in
Minnesota report was received by
me, on regular. blank sent from this
Office for that purpose, showing that
the amount Of hard coal received
there between April 1st, 1916, and
April LIST, 1917, a period of twelve
months, was only lat tons and from
April LIST, 1917, to November 10th,
1917, seven months and ten DAYS.
there was received 1859 tons of hard
coal, that is, 20 tons more in seven
months and ten days than there was
received in the preceding twelve
months.
The same dealer in the same blank
states that it will take $50 tons more
hard coal to carry his community
through the approaching winter to
April 1st, 1918.
It will thus be noticed that a COM
munity that managed without COM
pulsion to get through year with
LAG tons and that too a year when
there was no shortage, demands 319
tons for use during the present year.
An examination of the returns on
the blanks prepared by this Office
shows that in more than 500 of the
communities in Minnesota, the same
plan is being followed and the same
demands are being made.
1t is not the intention Of this Of
fee to furnish coal to any commune
ity in excess of the amount it re-
ceived last year, and the sooner this
fact is realized the better it will be
for the community.
Instructions.
| now instruct the members of the
local committee in all the counties in
the state, as well as the local dealers
as follows:
l. That the use of wood as fuel is
compulsory where wood is available.
2. That persons having furnaces
or other heating apparatus in which
soft coal can be used must, during
the present emergency, use soft coal
until sufficient supply of hard coal
is available, and that the hard coal
shipped to the various towns be dis
tributed among those whose heating
equipment is not suited for the use
of soft coal.
In ether words, that no hard coal
be sold by local dealers for use in
cook-stoves, ranges, air tight heat
ers, furnaces or any other heating
apparatus that can as well use btu
minous coal.
An examination of the records at
Duluth shows that to November LIST,
1917, 26R% more hard coal was
shipped from the Duluth Superior
docks in 1917 than was shipped from
those docks to November 1st, 1916.
The price Of soft coal being abnor-
mally high, it is apparent that per-
sons who heretofore have used soft
coal are now turning to the use of