The Washington herald., 1917-11-12
Paper Of c. F. N. Fadeey, Read Before the Rotary Cub
Of Washington, November 9.
ANTHRACITE

Last year the total production of
coal in this country was $4,000, 900
gross tons, of which $4,000, 900 were
anthracite. OF the sI,ooo, 200 tons
shipped into the general market,
Washington received $4,000 to $780,
900 tons. or about one ton OF every
$50 shipped.
The commercial production Of
anthracite in this country 10 con-
fned TO hve counties in Central
Eastern Pennsylvania
Anthracite naturally falls into i've
classes: Hard, intermediate. free
burning white ash Goals; and two
special grades, red ash and the still
freer Lykens Valley red ash The
harder, denser Goals stand the heav-
lest draft. whereas. under similar
conditions. freer Goals clinker and
run together.
Consumer Prepared Coal
The rapid development in the an
thracite industry has been phenom-
email. The senior member Of our
firm, in his experience. refers to the
time when the consumer prepared
his coal to suit his individual needs.
the only size shipped being a lump
coal.
This method Is now replaced by
huge breakers with complicated
machinery. costing from 100000 to
several hundred Thousand dollars
The sizes are prepared at these
breakers. The largest, the selected
lump. does not go through the
I,,s ErsA
cupola use in making steel The five
domestic sizes. pea, chestnut, stove.
egg and furnace, are sized by pass
ing over and through various mesh
ed screens ranging from Ia inch
to 3l-2-inch mesh. The steam
Goals are buekwheat. rice. barley
aud boiler. that are still smaller In
size.
.oI...s Ihs Top ana bottom OF the
seams and runs In layers through
out the veins. To remove all the
slate and bone. the impure coal.
would make the cost prohipitive.
The dealer cannot furnish siateless
coal. for he cannot buy 1t.
Fuel By River Boat.
In the early days, wsshington's
,
were all located on the water front
This tonnage has diminished until
now only one or two dealers get part
Of their supplies in this way. The
past summer. on account of the de-
fenses in the Chesapeake and lower
Potomac. no coal came here via this
| route.
Now all rail and all weather ship
ments Of anthracite are via the B.
and o. and the Pennsylvania The B.
and o. delivery points here are New
York avenue and First streets north
east; First and NJ streets northeast;
Anacostia, and Georgetown. The
Pennsylvania's deliveries are at South
| Capital and / streets southeast; NJ
| street siding southeast: Fourteenth
and Maryland avenue southwest, and
Rosslyn, Va
1t is difficult TO gage accurately
\ Washington's consumption Of hard
coal, because part OF the Rosslyn
tonnage comes into the city. as does
| coal from Brookland, Takoma- Chevy
Chase. Anacostia and other points.
In the days when Washington re-
ceived its coal by water, the dealer
rendered his bills once a year. Since
1903 a strictly cash basis has pre-
vailed. Anthracite 10 sold subject 10
the prevailing prices at the time OF
shipment.
After the great strike Of 1907, the
Anthracite operators adopted the
| policy OF reducing prices 50 cents per
ton on the first Of April. and then
advancing them 10 cents the FIRST or
each month until the winter schedule
was again in effect
For Greater Economy.
This was to induce the consumer
and the trade generally to take coal
in the spring and summer in order
to increase the number OF working
days for the miner, and in the interest
OF broader lines of economy.
Baltimore takes advantage of this
policy. Except to very limited eK-
tent, Washington does not. Our rec
ords for the past five years show. on
an average. that two-thirds of our
sales are in the five worst months
of the year, November to March. in
elusive, in each OF which we are apt
to experience freezing, icy weather
The cost Of unloading, alone. in these
months is twenty to twenty-five times
as great as in the other seven months.
II the Washington consumer was or
the job two-thirds OF the coal would
be purchased and handled in the sever
good, not in the five worCt months OF
the year. In spring and summer coal
is cheaper, Of a better grade, better
prepared. In spring and summer. the
retailed and wholesaler are not rush
ed and coal is closely inspected. and
when not up to standard, it is re-
fused.
All of last winter. and the same 8,
now true, there was no pIetense OF
inspection. The demand is such W,
cannot turn down any coal
Losses Are Large.
| While anthracite does not slack. Z
is brittle and every handling entail,
breakage. The average loss in thii
item alone is from Is 20 20 cents pei
ton. Then in winter there are heavy
losses through cars being robbed er
route. from overlooking, leakage, M
the overweight in emptIes carrying
snow and ice when loaded. With tn,
keenness OF competition OF the pas
ten years, the retailers has operate
on a basis OF net profit so low thaj
few lines will approach 1t.
During the past summer the dealers
as a patriotic duty. advised theii
customers TO lay in their winter sup
ply of fuel In the middle OF Angus
our papers announced the govern
ment's reduction on bituminous Goa
of about 50 per ton in such manner a,
to lead the public TO believe that d
applied to anthracite as well as btu
minous.
Euying stopped. unfiIle orders wer'
cancelled and the public waited fol
the reduction to materIaiizc. 1t is nov
paying an advance OF 81 per ton fol
that coal 1t can get, with the prospect
Of hand-to-mouth buying all winter
The dealers could not convince theil
customers that the information a.
given by the press was misIeadinl