The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-08-01
FIRST HARD JOB
State Manager VIII Attempt To
Buy Big Coal Supply.
1876 Tons Needed for State
Institutions.
CONTRACTS TO Be LET AUG. IA
Fuel Fund Shortage May Close
Institutions.
Legislature Did Not Provide for
Price Advances.

James A kimball, state manager, is
preparing to tackle his first big prob
lem as state purchasing agent. He
has advertised for bids for 4s,S16 tons
of coal for state institutions for next
winter. The contracts for the coal will
be let in Topeka August 14-provided
bids can be received within the state
estimate and the funds available.
Otherwise-well, there may be
source of trouble ahead.
Coal is in close competition with
flour and beefsteak for an altitude
record. Former prices have been lost
sight of and operators refuse to fur
nish coal at a price which even re-
sembles the bids of two and three
years ago. Some of these things were
overlooked by the recent legislature
and the funds for the purchase or
coal are not increased to meet the new
mile high prices. Estimates sought
by Manager Kimball are in addition
to the estimated supply from the state
penitentiary mines. But the FUNDS
available for the purchase of the coal
something like 500. 000-may not
prove sufficient to buy needed sup
plies.
Big Winter Problem.
State institutions must be kept
warm next winter or close their doors
The state house must be heated, the
big hospitals with their several tnon-
sand patients, the schools with their
thousands
erlv heated or closed. And the state
doesn't entertain the slightest thought
of closing shop. Neither is the state
manager provided with fund suffl-
cient to enter keen open competition
for coal at the skyrocketlng prices
Estimates are for supplies to July l.
next year.
The Topeka state hospital will need
the greatest supply of coal. The esti-
mate by the state manager calls for
$500 tons of coal for the Topeka in
stitution during the next year hat
loaded to capacity. Osawatomie Will
need 5000 tons of coal, or 200 large
size cars.
Using the new maximum tonnage
cars as a standard for shipments, the
state will need 1928 cars of coal
trains of fifty cars each. That is the
supply needed in addition to such
shipments as may be made from the
state prison mines at Lansing.
Not only does the state face the
coal situation with shortage of funds
! and record prices, but they are also
confronted with shortage of produc-
! ton, an abnormal demand for indus
| trial and naval purposes. existing con-
tracts by railroads and heavy copSum-
ers and the possibility of government
requisition of at least a portion of the
4
means that August IA may not be a
| happy day for the new state manager.
Coal Tonnage Needed.
This is the coal tonnage needed for
state institutions under the bids
sought by Manager Kimball:
/ Number of
Institutions. Tons needed
Topeka State Hospital. Topeka -. 9, 500
osawatomie State Hospital, osawa-
! Larned State Hospital: Iarned i LOO
State Hospital for Epileptics, Par
State Home for Feeble Minded, Win
State Orphans Home, Atchison. 1 ,O60
Norton ...........,.......... 400
| State Agricultural College. Manhattan G, 500
| State Manual Training Normal, Pitts
University of Kansas, Lawrence Z, 200
| State Normal School, Emporia 80
! School for the Deaf, Olathe .......... 900
! School for the Blind Kansas City,
4 Bell Memorial Hospital Rosedale - SOC
State Fish Hatchery, Pratt. .-...- 140
Ft Hays Kansas Normal School,.
J Fit Hays Experiment Station Hays 200
Boys Industrial School, Topeka. -. 41f
Girls Industrial School. Beloit. ...... 2, 10C
State Industrial RefOrmatory, Hutch
western ester University, ouindaro, Kan. i 2 sSt