Arizona republican., 1917-12-17

IS needed this year for purposes. The possible increase in production is fifty million Only fruSality in the use of coal in homes and fac tories will prevent serious shortage. Win you in the earliest number still open urge your read CTS to do what they toward saving coal? It is matter of the most vital concern to al'
 The mercury is dropping toward zero in the ther- mometer outside the office window. The Weather Bureau predicts Cold wave with snow; northwest ery gales. The weather is btingly sarcastic toward such an appeal. Fuel is about the hardest thing i'll the world for American His house is not equipped for coal saving his habit fights against it. He Is used to warm living rooms and offices Moth ing brings him to a mood for civil quickly than the question of heating street cars The cenlan i'll summer and the coal in winter his enemies because they control his chief allies against the friendly climate Nevertheless we turn off the heat in the radiator and with cold hands write this appeal to our subscribers Save your coali Save fifty million tons of coal! Later with the assistance of the coal administrator may be able to tell you how to do it.
 Yet it does seem strange to be making such an appeal in country which has enough coal few feet under the surface of the earth to supply the whole world for one hundred years! How does it happen 10 be necessary that at the beginning of winter the public should be obliged 10 down its of fuel? We'll there are good many reasons. In the first place, there is shortage of labor. In the second place. the railways unable to carry all the coal that IS needed But make the guess that the chief reason why the country is asked to enlist in the Shyer Service could he found in the strange performance in Washington last summer when the coal prices llNcu secretary Lane and MT. PeaD0dy got the coal operators together and induced them to name price which it agreed would keep production at high level while relieving the public from the consequences of feverish competitive buying MT. Lane felt warmly about this bargain that he publicly called the operators patriots term which probably used in this connection for the first time. when Sec retary Baker the agreement he denounced it, and the coal administration fixed price far below the one which Secretary Lane thought was a patriotic sacrifice The natural consequence was that the small coal operators, those who only work their mines when prices high shut down, just as the experienced coal men said they would. This and the other causes we have named operated to slow down production and distribution at the very time when they should have been speeded And the public pays, not in money, but in discomfort For if the coal shortage is fifty million tons the winter will be hard one for many people
 We don't ask much from our rulers in Washing on No supernatural foresight is required of them But we do expect that for the period of the they will stop playing to the gallery when they don't know about a subject ask some one who does.
 The reference in the foregoing to playing to the galleries may obscure to those who are not with eastern conditions There the coal baron for many years has not been held in high esteem He Is robber and the people feel toward him as robbcr This sentiment is no stronger anywhere than in Mir. Bakers home tewn-Cleveland. When the price of coal first fixed tic people losing sight of the fact that the chief desideratum increased production raised a clamor for they knew that the price was higher than ought to be. Secretary Lane knew that as well as they but he also knew that the small oper- ators could not produce coal any cheaper. He also knew that there could not be prices. Either the big operators must be allowed an extravagant margin else the small mines must close down.
 MT Baker yielding to popular clamor which de- manded cheaper coal regardless production fixed lower price with the result that at that price the east is freezing. AIr Lane looked at the question calmly and broadly MT. Baker did not look it at all He only listened to loud, angry and confusing roar.