The Washington herald., 1917-11-29
CLIMAX TO RUMORS.
Garfield Sees President.

Garfield Sees President.
IL was at first reported that DIR. II.
A. Garfield, Fuel Administrator, had
asked President Wilson to comman-
deer the mines. Later, rumor had it
that DIR. Garfield had told the Presi-
dent the country has only four days
supply of coal. and recommended i'm
mediate curtailment of fuel to one
third Of the nonessential industries.
This was to be followed by cutting on
another one-sixth of the nonessentials
within sixty days.
!. DIR. Garfield refused to discuss his
visit to the White House. saying that
either he or the President would issue
a statement on it if there was any
thing to be said.
The National Coal Association.
which has been trying TO obtain a
preferential order so that operators
could have enough coal cars to keep
their mines busy. capped the climax
by a virtual demand for this preferen-
tial ruling.
Mr.. Morrow's statement, made on
behalf of operators producing 250.-
10000 tons of coal monthly, follows:
THE National Coal Association,
realizing the critical condition caused
generally throughout the country by
the scarcity of coal. feels that in
justice to the public and to the pro-
ducers of bituminoUs coal a full
statement of the situation, so far
as il can be ascertained by the as
sociation. should be made public at
this time.
Ordinarily at this time of the year
there is in the hands Of consumers a
supply of bituminous coal estimated
TO be sufficient to meet their needs
for thirty days A careful canvass
BY the association and other agencies
of the present stocks of fuel in this
country discloses that at this time
there is on hand less than a weeks
supply. and that with the exception
of a few sections of the country. such
as the Northwest. the entire country
is facing fuel famine.
The results of such a famine
would be disastrous. Millions of
household users of bituminous coal
would experience acute discomfort
and in many cases extraordinary
hardship. The great plants manu-
featuring munitions in New Eng
land and the East would be COM
PEELED to close down or to run on
part time. Already in several in
stances some OF the largest of these
plants have on hand a supply of
fue! wholly inadequate for their
needs. Public utility plants, such
as water. gas, light and power
plants throughout the entire coun-
try would be forced either to sus-
pend operations, probably for days
at a time. or to run with greatly
curtailed service.
"Bituminous coal operators of the
National Coal Association. repre-
senting an output of more than ESQ.,
100000 tons monthly, have been en-
deavoring for weeks past to correct
this situation. They have sought
increasingly to bring production of
their mines to capacity.
Mime Output Limited.
The latest report of the United
States Geological Survey shows that
for the week ending November 10
bituminous mines In the great pro-
ducing sections Of the country pro-
duced only ~ per cent of the amount
they were capable Of producing. This
means that were all conditions in har-
IuOny Win Ine ueS1re OF DltufnlnOuS
operators to obtain a 100 per cent out
put from the mines. the yield of coal
would have been approximately one
third greater than IL has been. Also
while official government figures show
the output of coal during the week
of November II to have been higher
than in any week since July, they
show that mines produced but three
fourths the amount of coal they were
capable of producing.
''The fact that coal production was
higher this week than at any time
since July does not mean that 1t was
sufficient to meet the military, naval,
Industrial and domestic needs Of the
nation On the contrary. coal con-
sumption has increased at a much
greater rate than production during
the period since July and the output
for the week of November II, al
though establishing a new record for
four months, was not sufficient to
meet the heavy demands Of the na-
Mons wartime activities
Analysing the inability Of the
mines to produce the amount OF coal
cokTiSUED ON PAGE SEVEN