The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1917-11-22
NO REASON FOR
COAL SHORTAGE
North Dakota Has Reeeiyed
More Coal This Year
Than Last.
DEALERS DISAGREE TO THIS
Quote Figures 10 Prove Recslpts
Less Than Last Year. Tho
Country Dealers Waited
on Lower Prices.

There should be no hard coal
shortage in North Dakota, accord
ing to advices received by State
Fuel Administrator L. P. Baker
from Washington and coal dock
companies, in which he is told that
North Dakota has already received
more anthrancite this year than
during any previous season.
Robert b. Blakemore, local fuel
administrator, yesterday morning,
received circular letter from Mr..
Baker in which he is told of these
reports and advised to urge the
people of his district to use more
soft coal and Ignite. Following is
Mr.. Bakers letter:
From advices received from
the Washington office and from the
coal dock companies, it appears
that more anthracite has been ship
ped into North Dakota this year
than was shipped during the pre-
ceding year, and that North OAK
ota's proportionate share of an
thracite for the current season has
been received.
cit is therefore imperative that
the greatest care be taken in the
distribution of the anthracite and
that the people of your district be
impressed with the necessity of u.s.
ing the bituminous coal and Ignite
to the fullest possible extent. 1t is
the aim of the fuel administration
to prevent any suffering and to dis
tribute the available anthracite
with that end in view. You should
give the widest publicity to this
condition and purpose.
81 In this connection, while it is
desirable that coal be equitably
apportioned among the dealers, this
administration cannot at once
change previous inequitable appor-
tionment. For the present, dealers
who have been unfortunate enough
not to have received their fair
share of coal must not be too res
tive, if their communities immedi,
ate requiremnts are filled.
Your continued assistance in
this regard will be appreciated. I"
Fargo fuel dealers do moi,
agree with these claim. A repre-
sentative Of this paper called on
several of the dealers yesterday
after receiving Mr.. Bakers state
ment. they asked, where is the
coal?
Other coal dealers seen said they
could not say off hand how their
hard coal receipts compared with
last year but they knew they had
no anthracite on hand, with many
untitled orders. "We had plenty
to supply the demand last year but
can't do SO now,'' was the usual
comment.
That many dealers in North
Dakota towns outside of Fargo
held up their coal orders until late
in the season in the hope that gov
ernment regulation of the coal
trade might reduce the prices, IS
indicated in reports from the coun-
county town stated few days ag)
county town stated few days ago
he did not order his coal until
about the middle of October. He
has not received any coal yet, it is
claimed and there is no anthracite
in the town.
1t is admitted by one Fargo
dealer that some people in Fargo
fearing early reports of a coming
coal shortage laid in larger stocks
of hard coal during the summer
than usual. There are only compar.
atively few eases Of this kind. and
would not have any bearing on the
present situation, the dealer said.
Seven cars of coal were receiv-
ed by Fargo dealers yesterday, OH
ly one being hard coal. Several of
the local dealers reported yester-
day they had received no hard coal
the past two weeks Fargo Cour-
ier-News.