French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1916-1919, 1917-10-18
HENDERsONYILLE rs URGED
TO BUY WOOD FOR CONSUMERS.
Fuel Administrator Of North Carolina
Advises Cities to Buy in Car Load
Lots. \

- HEN
Greensboro. N. c., Oct. 15.-In an
fnterview given your correspondent
today. "A w. McAlister, State Fuel
Administrator. outlines a practical
plan for the cooperation of munietr
palities in the conservation of coal.
Said he:
while the President and Mr.. Gar
field are solving the coal supply pro-
blem, which they are going to do, even
if they have to take over the coal
mines~and operate them, the cities
and towns Of North Carolina a re-
duce the demand for coal and can
materially reduce the price of wood
7! to the consumer by going into the
EWood business. 1 have taken coun-
sci with some of the safest, most
thoughtful and best bushes men in
North Carolina, and they all agree
that the plan is not only practical,
but highly desirable. There is All
abundance of wood in North Carolina,
and there will never be- time Wien
the largest use of this abundance can
be made so advantageouslv as now.
The plan is as follows: !
LET each municipality ID buy
"OOuHO " III AAA DC
for delivery by wagon or railroad at
a municipal wood ward, which should
be located on a railroad siding if
be shipped in by rail; (2) equip the
yard with power-saws, etc., utilizing
! such available equipment as the mu-
icipality already has; 60 use con-
Wet labor, workhouse labor, or street
force to do the work; "a use the
municipal teams for delivery of wood
| to consumer. cut ready for consump-
ton. at actual cost; 60 put sorae-
body in charge of the work who is
capable of doing it successfully; t6)
do not use coal cars for shipping in
your supply of wod; CD if wood can
not be bought in sufficient quantities
to supply the municipal yard, con-
tract with land owners for the privi-
lege of cutting the wood under forest
conservation restrictions and direct
the cutting of the wood with your
own labor; (8) encourage cOnsum-
ers to substitute sheet iron wood
stoves for their coal burners, as the
saving in price will more than pay
for the outlay.
"In many sections of the state last
year, wood ready for burning cost the
| COISu D1CI 41OI4 0SFSA " 04SAL OO41o1 .
a cord, and the retail market this
it was last. The furnishing/of wood
at cost by the municipality will work
no hardship upon the retail wood
dealer, for the demand will be such
that he can sell all he ear supply at
a reasonable profit. and if he under
takes to make an unreasonable profit,
4 h. AA-6N1n4- Sc 1o4511SaiDn ~
petition interferes with it. There is
no time to be lost. Let nc. time be
! wasted on the constituionality or 1e-
gality of this proposition. We have
taken legal advice to the effect that
this work can properly be done by
municipalities and We are satisfied
that no court is likely to interfere
with the program of emergency re-
lief which will not only help win the
war, but which will prevent suffer
ing this winter on the part of those
who can i'll afford to buy wood at any
price, and supply the public with a
necessity at prices that will not be
burdensome.
Let not any Municipality treat this
suggestion lightly, deeming it unnec-
essary. The facts of the fuel situa-
ton speak for themselves as to the
seriousness of it, and we deceive our
selves if we do not look them square
ly in the, face. The city or town
that is wise forehanded will, without
delay. make itself. as far as possible,
Independent of coal by going into the
wood business; and before the win
ter is over the people will rise up
and call the officials of that city or
town blessed"