Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-11-13

Germanys treacherous hand Is RESPONSE
BILE to large exten. for the shortage Of
bituminous coal In this country.
This shortage OF fuel. the very life of our
large industries. Is due to a short lge Of
labor brought about by German propa- :
ganda.
The only remedy is consoription by the
Government OF sufficient labor to keep the
railroads and muntion plants running Tn
less this is done the nations war plans will
be seriously hampered.
Such WAS the Keynote of the address Of
8. Pemberton Hutchinson. president of the
westmoreland Coai Company. who spoke at
the meeting Of the Contemporary Club in
the Bellevue Stratford
Francis A. Lewis. local coal admins
traitor. who presided. took issue with VIII
liam Potter, Federal fuel administrator for
pennsylvania, who said there WIS no short
age of anthracite In Philadelphia and that
provisions had been made TO relieve the
shortage in West Philadelphia
Mr.. Hutchinson said:
THE reason for the shortage Of biuui-
nous coal is shortage of labor, Most Of
the miners are Russians, Poles and subjects
of the Austro-Hungaran Empire. GERMAN
Dropagandists are telling them that IL they
mine too muca coal the German and
Austro- Hungarian Governments will make
II unpleasant for their families i'm th,. Old
country. This results in periodical cesSa-
ti9ns OF work BY the miners which virtually
crippleS THE mines for days at "a time.
Before the war the miners sent tn,lr.
spare cash 20 their families i'm Europe The
German pioragandists tell them that this
money no longer reaches their families So
they no LONGER try to save any. They do
not trust ~" banks, having been told tina:
the banks nc not safe, ana IL they hide
the money rcme one will steal IT, There
fore, they VIII not work any more than
is necessary TO make enough to pay for
their own needs
We, never have enough men 10 operate
should ;nke steps az once tc remedy tnis
condition. The mine operators are helpless.
propaganda. In one instance we discovered
the men who We're responsible for il and
we discharged them and turned them over
10 Government agents. There was no COM
plaint from tn, other men, showing that
they were NJ, in !:mpathy with it,"
Mr.. Potter who opened IN" discussion.
said:
THE need Of btuminous coal ie So i'm.
portant that no expense should be spared in
getting g. The price should cut no figure
There Is no shortage OF anthracite here
shortage in West Phladelphia uinety-six
carloads were ordered here TO-DAY. The
reason coal has not been rs plenuful a. II
should be is ear congestion but coal is be
ginning to trickle through now. Tho people
must by no means hoard coal They should
order the smallest quantity possible
lsNceptlOl NaH llktil u. Nf, Lewis, WHO
10 chairman OF the Philadelphia County
committee Of the Federal fuel admlnistra
tion. He said:
There is no boarding Of coal in Phia-
delphia. The great difficulty lies in getting
sufficient cars and locomotives tn haul Il
from the mines. IT'S all right to say there
Ii plenty of coal. but il Is another thing to
get 1t to the consumer. | must take eXcep-
tion to the statement Of Mr.. Potter that
ninety carloads will relieve the situa-
ton. That would not be enough for one
day. II would take 900 carloads to relieve
the situation.
THE reason there Is no coal boarding
going on in Philadelphia is because people
cannot get the coal to hoard. All the coal
said 10 have been bought last April and
now boarded in cellars was consumed dur
ing the unseasonably cold weather In NAV
and June. Another reason for the Increased
sales last spring was the increased popu-
lation due TO the many new munition plants
Tnere Is not vacant dwelling in the CITY
except in some fashionable nelghborhoods
and all are In need of anthracite. No dealer
here will supply any one not "a regular Gus
TONER They haven't enough for the latter.
Perhaps If we all Try to get along with ag
little coal as possible and not hil our cell
lars we Will be able to struggle through the
winter"