Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-12-31
STRIVES TO KEEP Up
. WITH BUSHEL TRADE
Fuel Administrator for D. C.
Labors to Supply the
Poor With Coal.
ANTHRACITE STOCK SHORT

According to John L Weaver, fuel
administrator for the District of Co
lumbia, the situation in Washington
today is fairly comfortable" so far
as supplies of soft coal are concerned.
The supply of hard coal is very short.
Mr.. Weaver issued an order today
that until further notice NO hard coal
may be delivered to any apartment
house. They must burn soft coal. both
for the purpose Of heating the build
ings and for heating water.
Though there may be a comfortable"
supply of soft coal in the city. con-
sumers continue to have great deal
of difficulty in getting 1t delivered to
their fireless homes. Scores OF drivers
of coal wagons refused to go to work
this morning. Some gave the excuse
that they had worked yesterday; others
said 1t was too cold. One of the largest
retail coal firms in the city said that
40 per cent of it's help failed to report
this morning. Automobiles were sen.
around to the homes of the men, but
most of them still refused to come out:
This firm has supplies of both hard
and soft coal in its yards, and many OF
it's teams are standing idle in the barns
because there are no men to drive them.
Receipts in Twenty-Four Hours.
For tho fwenIy-1OuT nOuIS GuuCu a.
Z o'clock this morning receipts of coal
in the railroad yards here were as FOL
lows: Anthracite, II cars. containing
897 tons; soft coal, Is cars. containing
1856 tons. Much of this coal has not oeen
placed on the dumps at the coal YARDS,
and a considerable amount OF coal
which arrived previously is still stand
ing in the yards. Every effort Is being
made, according to railway officials and
Fuel Administrator Weaver, TO get the
cars unloaded with the least possible
delay.
Mr.. Weaver said today that all stove
size anthracite coal now in the city
under his control will be reserved TOT
the bushel trade. as the stoves wnicn
heat the homes Of a majority OF poor
families cannot with advantage Durn
soft coal or other sizes of anthracite
close watch also will be kept, salo
Mr.. Weaver, and all cars OF stove-sfze
reaching the city. wnetnei
consigned to the government or 10 pri-
yate dealers, will be COMMUNICATED W
him for the bushel trade.
Complaint Of Favoritism.
Complaint has been made that some
favored persons were able to get emer-
gency orders for hard coal from MT
Viewers Office. while the average run OF
persons applying had to take SOFT coai OF
nothing Mr.. Weaver said today that or
ders for ton and half-ton lots OF hard
coal had been issued only in exceptional
cases." and denied indignantly that any
favoritism had been shown. In some neat
ing plants, he said, it was absolutely i'm
possible to burn soft coal. Applicants al
1903 F street for emergency orders nave
stated that their heating plants would not
burn soft coal, but their statements did moi
result in their getting hard coal orders
filled.
Mr.. Weaver said there is now in the city
subject to his order, enough hard coal tt
supply the bushe1 trade for about one day
and that no more orders will be ISSUED
against this store for ton and half-tor
lots except to dealers who sell to ths
bushel trade and to charitable organiza
lions for distribution to the poor.
He intends to keep the bushel buyers
| supplied. he said. even il it is neces-
sary to resort to seizures. Mr.
weaver estimates the supply of sof,
| coal in the city as sufficient for two
or three days with more on the way
due to arrive today and tonight. He
appealed again today for economy ir
consumption and expressed belief that
acute suffering can be averted il
economy is praCtfced.