The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-12-15
THE COAL SHORTAGE

HE COAL shortage first railroad problem; second
 problem of hoardng and third problem of coal pro- duction.
 Transportation by railroad and inland waterways has proved entirely inadequate to meet the burden of unusual dons There not enough to the coal There is unified supervision by which the facilities in existence can be used to best advantage
 Billions expended in the last 5 years railroads have been wasted embedded squandered by mismanagemen The natural growth of inland water transport has been check eds and in places destroyed by railroad intrigue.
 What took place in New England from 1900 to the day of Mir Meens resignation typical of what took place large part of continental United States.
 The business community, which ought to have been alert which should have perceived the consequence of railroad wreck ing acquescen compacent and often assisted the which to weaken the country and impede industry So much for transportation which the larger part of the coal problem.
 Then the of hoarding On banks of the Housaonc in Sratford great pile of soft coal containing very tonnage perhaps hundred thousand tons perhaps Such coal piles scattered throughout the United States They represent the effort of individuals corporations to @ themselves Every has attempted to take of is needs, without regard to the needs of anybody Nobody is too blame That the way things done But this way won't do Some industries have coal than they in months Other industries lack the coal sary to from day to day.
 Boarding is part two of the problem. The remedy is simple m hoards should be treated part of the public supply and used to relieve the shortage the being compensated for kheir property.
 Part three the production of coal the least part of the problem Production is being speeded up
 Now the government trying to get the people of the cpe into which they have been plunged largely by the lack foresight and civic skill of the industrial community
 The government is trying to operate the railroads
 unity Presently the government will bring order out chaos buit it can't be done in minute.
 The government through the fuel administration is trying to make the scany and lily distributed stocks of coal the whole eld that everybody who needs will have enough his immediate need but nobody enough for his need month six months year. This work takes tme not be done in minute.
 The fuel administration is represented in Bridgeport by M Semon, who to be- just sort of vcarous ce because the New Haven msmanaged in the past and because coal has been hoarded all about
 The crowds who for coal make dramatic fact It is elodramac to paint each day the picture those not supplied that day and the simplest of simple rhetoric o paint the coal administrator the villain to blame for it all.
 The undramatc plain and prosy truth is simply this Un M tho fuel administrator took up the work there way M which the persons the greatest need would be supplied h coal The worst relieved and conditions much fairer and better than they
 would be better if the coal administrator was little ucnt when the reporters seek him out Reporters only human, and they want the facts if there none
 But lack of corday to reporters is not the reason why coal is in Bridgeport.
 community that doesn't about its civic affairs when it ought to- will ultimately to the place whare H principal business will be damning those who trying # out of the scrapes it gets into.