The Detroit times., 1917-09-15
COAL GONE,
PLAN IT'S TO
CLOSE Up
Fuel Situation Most
Serious City Has
Experienced

Several of the largest manhiae-
turing plants in Detroit, all of them
employed on government contracts
for war munitions. are expected 90
blow their whistles Saturday night
and not resume opera ions for ne
presenf because they have 90 fleL
Unless the coal situation improves
within a few days. many others Will
be Obliged TO quit Even the CITY
which has engaged experts 10 see
that Il has an adequate coal ,uppiY.
now has only sufficient coal on hand
and presumably in transit 90 LAST 81
DAYS
The reason for the great shortage
Is twofold. according 20 dealers and
large purchasers one IS that me
mine operators 20 large extent
have struck against the govern
ments order fixing prices ~ me
mines lower than they think II prof
fable. and the other is the inablhy
Of the railroads 20 transport the coal
rapidly enough
Secretary IT r.. Warner. ~ ne
Board OF Commerce declare that
there arc miles and niles az 'oadel
coal cars standing outside ot io-
Iedo and Cleveland waiting for boats
to carry this coal TO The upper lakes,
and that while awaiting boats these
cars are idle when every car should
be moving.
The president and hts advisers
have insisted that purely as war
measure coal destined for the north
west must be sent up the lakes be-
fore navigation closes 30 that raw
materials may be produced and re-
turned 20 the lower lakes IN me
vessels that take the Goa. a0rth. in
obedience 10 the presidents orders,
shippers are rushing coal up the
lakes. Meanwhile. Detroit and other
manufacturing ccnters are hcine
neglected. but the governments e1-
perts believe il is more urgent that
the northwest be supplied now. o.
the manufacturing regions can 90
tain coal later by rail while 10 is
diniCdlt and Improbable 30 send ~
BY rail TO the northwest
The government has fixed the
average price OF hitumlnous AZ the
mines at 81 Those Of the mine
operators who have not met This oy
curtailing production VIII produce
only as much as Wit load Che cars
they receive daily With thousand
OF cars remaining idle and loaded
and with hundreds Of thousands 0'
empties idle in the big terminal
points. the production is not Keep
ing pace with the consumption
Charles +. Wert2. "a coal traffic
expert. who has been engaged b}
the city 30 see that 70 gets is supp's
OF coal and who IS assisiine John
c. McCabe. of the department Of
safety engineering SAYS he is now
getting coal for 1890. which costs
when delivered 20 the various yards
an additional $50 for carriage
which makes the total cost 20 the
city $40. satisfactory price hn'
he cannot obtain enough 90 make
the city institutions feel safe
Mr.. Wertz says. the government
should appoint an expert iraiiic man
in each large terminal point to order
empfies pUi back into service a'
once l}y giving such man ana
thority 80 give orders 20 tho rail
roads. hC declares hundreds OF cars
that are idle could be- sent rolling
toward the mine every day bul
the railroads either do not care az
have Incompetent men in charge ~
such work with Che result that
big Detroit factories, employing
Thousand of men and az Worb
on the most important contracts ~
the government, must c.oae tie de-
clares that since tho government Is
largely responsible ier The threat
ened fuel famine. i huuld take m
mediate steps 90 remedy it just
At present students OF fhc situation
agree that traffic exports are more
important 10 ,hc successful prosccu
ton OF the war than are military
experts
Hardly a pound ~ steam coal IS
now reaching Detroit. accordnz ic
Secretary Warner and there are
daily conferences in tie board re
garding the situation. which Is moro
serious now than during the -f'iel
scarcity of last winter