The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-12-07
URGES NEW CHECKS
ON WASTE OF COAL
Expert Says 100000
Tons May Be Saved Each
Year by Intelligent Use
WOULD RELEASE
MILLIONS OF CARS
One Method to Compel Measures of
Economy, and the Other Along Edu-
cational Lines, with Patriotism and
Efficiency as Basis.


cational Lines, with Patriotism and
Efficiency as Basis.
NEW YORK, Dee. THE assertion
that 100000 tons of coal, worth
$3.50. 100000. could be saved by the
United States every year by efficient
management of boiler furnaces, was
made BY David Moffat Myers IN an ad
dress before the thirty eighth annual
convention of the American Society of
Mechanical Engineers at the Engineer
ing societies building. Mr.. Myers, in
pointing out the advantage of saving.
fuel. declared that if only half the,
amount wasted were saved it would re
lease a million freight cars year for;
other service which are now employed
in hauling coal.
As a means of ar-reaching econ
omy,'' he said, :. the government OF
the United States should at this time
apply intelligent and direct-actlng eff
forts to the conservation of fuel at the
industrial plants which are responsible
for its greatest consumption. 1t IS
unnecessary before body of engineers
to show proof that coal is wasted III
vast quantities in the boiler furnaces
of our plants.
In one steel mill he investigated, he
said, about 10000 tons Of coal were
being wasted every year, which might
just as well be saved. He said that
plants which employed wastefui
methods should be cut down in their
supply.
If people threw away food prod
ucts as hundreds OF plants are literally
throwing away coal he added, .the
waste would receive attention and pub
lie condemnation. Wasting coal makes
food more expensive and harder TO ob-
tain.
Mr.. Myers suggested two WAYS OF
saving coal. one by the government
compelling methods Of economy, and
the other by extensive education in
ways and means.
The first method. he said, may be
termed the autocratic method. This
would involve the use of authority 10
compel coal consumers to execute such
measures of economy as the proper au-
thorities might prescribe for any given
case limits to be set as to expense to
the user. Such limits might be in terms
| of a percentage of his present yearly
coal bill. Alterations should be direct
ed chiefly, as previously implied tc
| purely operating improvements Many
| objections would probably be made by
consumers against this plan, but once
| In effect the majority would no doubt
realize its peeuniarv advantage t
| themselves. But its tendency NAV 81
too strongly opposed to democratic
principles.
The other plan would be largely ri
educational one. in which patriotism
and efficiency would furnish the motiv
! forces required The teaching must i,
accomplished with the utmost simple
1 itv and directne~s. Above all, it mas
| he in such form as to be readily com
pretended and applied This is bi.
task, but with the technical and execu
tive ability represented in this Societ,
these things may be accomplished.
Six hundred million tons Of Goa
were mined in the United states las
year. It is predicted that 700, 10000
tons will be mined this year, and mex
years production will likely be still
greater OF this quantity, approximate
t. q per cent or 400. 100000 tons, wi
be burned for steam making purpose
on land, assuming the same percentao
consumption for steam production a
existed IN the year 1918. The savin
or wasting Of one quarter of this Goa
that is, over 1lT,000, 900 tons. depend
upon the efficiency with which we ope
ate our boiler furnaces. If we actua
" saved by proper methods only 30
100000 ton" per year, this econom
would result in freeing for other mpo
tant service the use of 100000
fiftE-ton freight cars per year.