Evening star., 1918-02-08
T0RE0PEN
SCHOOLS MONDAY
Authorities Believe That Am
pie Supply of Fuel Now
Is Assured.
COAL RUSHED TO THE BINS

The public schools of the District of
Columbia will in all probability re-
open Monday, as scheduled. This state
ment was made today by Supt. Thurston
and by NJ. C. Hargrove. purchasing
agent for the District of Columbia.
Believing that the educational sys-
tenn of the District is of great i'm
portance, following conferences with
District officials and with the purchas-
ing agent for the District, officials of
the Federal Fuel Administration have
for the past two days been diverting
shipments of coal assigned to the
United States Fuel Administration to
the District dump
Coal Rushed to Schools.
This has been done in order to as
sure that the schools may open on time
1t is the opinion of Mr.. Hargrove and
OF the superintendent of schools that
every possible effort should be made to
open the public schools Monday as
scheduled, and to that end coal is being
rushed to the schools as fast as re-
ceived at the District dump.
Five cars of coal were diverted from
the United States fuel administration
to the District dump yesterday and
rushed to fill the bins of the schools
one carload. about fifty tons, of soft
coal was received up to noon today, and
with that left over from yesterday will
De allotted to the schools. Mr.. Har-
grove said today that in the present
crisis in regard to the shortage of coal
for use in the District institutions every
conceivable means of assistance is be-
ing offered to the District by the fed
eral fuel administration
Expects Ample Supply.
Il think by Monday we will have the
schools amply supplied with coal, and
after that we anticipate no difficulty in
continuing the supplies" he said.
Other District institutions will have
to continue as they have been-that is,
getting coal from hand to mouth'-in
order to enable the schools to open on
time. For the last four days ship
ments of between 25 and $50 tons a
day have gone to the school buildings.
tomorrow we expect to ship $50 tons
to the schools and Sunday 200 tons.
which will give them a small reserve
supply"
Supt. Thurston said today the fuel sit
uatlon is very much improved and that
according to. information received at
M! ms once To-Day he saw no reason why
the schools should not open on time.
Coal Situation Improves.
Receipts of anthracite coal in Washing
ton during the twenty-four hours ended
this morning again were liberal, and with
the improved delivery conditions result
ing from the thaw the situation is rapidly
clearing. Fuel Administrator Weaver
said this morning that the city now is
well over the crisis. and he expressed be-
lief that if the open weather continues
a few days longer it will be possible to
get in stock of coal which will make
another acute shortage this winter ex-
tremely unlikely.
Only few persons applied today for
coal at the emergency bureau at 18th
and F streets, and Mr.. Weaver's adminis-
tratlve office in the Woodward building
WHICH had been almost continuously
crowded for a week or more. was practi-
cally deserted except for attaches.
Written complaints accusing local
coal dealers with overcharging or other
unfair practices continue to reach Mr..
Weaver's office and as rapidly as re-
division of the federal fuel administra-
tion. which is conducting the investiga-
ton of profiteering directed by Presi-
dent Wilson.
Administrator Weaver today instruct
ed all Washington coal dealers to re-
port to him their cost Of doing business
as of February 1. This is in compliance
with the regulations of the national
fuel administration. If the reports sub
mitted justify such action, a reduction
in the price Of coal may be ordered.
Since the beginning Of the war Great
Britain has piled up a national debt