The Detroit times., 1917-10-18
5000 ASK
DICTATOR
FOR coal.
City Bureau Flooded
With MAitEhi Requests Ret More
Clerks Needed

W TO Thursday noon almost e.o00
persons had asked Police Commits
-stpnFr touzens.G.oal dIctatQr, L2.Send
;iaf feiisie n If ef thsse gppfi.
cants were not in dire straits. but
many of them were. Some had coal
enough IN their cellars 10 last for
few days, bur many were abso-
lltely without fuel Those who we're
destitute were taken care OF at once.
Every application was Investigated
Immediately and where tho neccs.
sity Tor fuel was great il was sup
uiied within an hour Often IL was
necessary TO employ a $4,000 auto
mobile to take s. worth Of coal 10
= window, but the coal was taken.
Walter /. Dunham. who is direct
ing the coal campaign for Police
Commissioner CouzenF. estimated az
noon tha at least 10000 homes In
Detroit are without fuel lie said
it WAS up 20 the city 10 furnish
thv5e people with the ccGl th=y
needed desperately AT once.
Aficr the office in the police de-
parment had been operating loss
than a day Mr. Durham became
convinced hat such an office would
not be adequate He had already
placed a girl clerk IN each precinct
police station 10 handle .he coal
situation. but he found that thig
would not do. As d result he has
suggested 10 Commissioner Couzens
that one police sergeant. The girl
clerk and al least two motorcycle
pstrolmen be assigned 10 each pre-
clnct situation 90 handle the coal
problem Commissioner Couzens
will make such an order. so that
hy Friday tho police stations viii
have an organization capable OF
coping With the situation
Thursday morning Mayor Marx,
Police Commissioner Couzens Con-
troller Enpel and others met in eX-
ecutiyo session in tho controllers
Office The meeting was called TO
consider the adyisanilitv of having
Mayor Marx 40 10 Washington to-
add his influence to fhn' af VIII
liam Is Pruddon, Michigan fuel die
tatof who Be- trying 10 so Fuel
Administrator Garfield 10 order coal
shipped here Tho meeting reached
thc conclusion thai such q trip was
unneccssAry, that Mr PTudden had
tho situation we'll in hand
Meanwhile the warm weather has
helped tho coal campaign material
ly There has been little suffering
as yot Mr Dunham reports that
with single exception tho coal
dealers have indicated desire 10
cooperate with tho CITY in fhe. di-
tribuI0n Of coal. but they have not
all frankly confessed the amount OF
coal they have On hand. a. "a result
detectives have been sent out 10
make survey Of the yards, with
the idea that 70 may become neces-
sary for The city fuel administration
go conf cate stocks that are bcinE
hoarIod
Coal Dictator Couzcns Wednesday
u.Rht wired FNiol Administrator Gar
field tho result of his survey Of tho
coal situation IN the homes, a eum
mary of which follows
There are 10000 homes without
An informing tonnage Or l29 oo)
t.r. wIl ur required between now
arI Ncr euhar
Tho police census covering lfitr
homes. showed S.f1S with un flfl IT,
is on tnaf figure that fhe estimate ~
a. 600 empty bins IN the whole city is
based
The total amount Of coal discovered
tn ffc lsfS1 homes visited was Sc
725 tons. ora average ~ but two tons
per family.
Three hundred tons Of soft. domeS-