Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-04-29
SEES COAL FAMINE
FOR NEXT WINTER
National Association Says Short
age Will be Worse Than
Last Season 5.

Washington. April 2o.-"A coal short
age next winter that will he worse than
last winters, Is predicted IN statement
rivcn ont bv the National Coal Associa-
ton. which quotes tclegrams supporting
this announcement from operators in
pennsvlvania, West Virginia, Ohio. Ten
ncsscc and Southwest Virginia Car
shortage and shortage of labor caused
hy loss of steady work due TO the car
shortage arc given as reasons for the
alleged drop IN production that has
inspired the gloomy representation.
Car shortage Is at present the main
factor limiting production, the state
mcnt asserts I'VE are facing a coal
shortage just as serious, and possibly more
serious, than that of last wear There
are no reserve stocks and transportation
apparently cannot be expected greatly
to improve. The outlook IS most serious.
This view of the coal situation IS offset
by an emphatic and categorical denial
from the Railway Administration that a
ear shortage Is responsible for any threat
cned coal famine Mr. McAdoo depart
mcnt admits that the rairoads hauled
fewer cars OF coal during the first three
months of the present year than they
were supposed to handle. but added that
this shortage was made up during the
present month. and that the records tor
the four months Of 1918 will show q total
Of carloads hauled that is 1000 greater
than during any similar period in the his
tory OF the Unltcd States.
The Railway Administration makes
the positive statement that the roads
are able and ready 10 haul more coal
than tho Fuel Administration can Obtain
from the mines MIR McAdoo's assist
ants declare trains are moving faster,
and more cars are available, than At any
time since war was declared against Ger
MANY, and that this situation Is steadily
improving Big additions Of equipment
shortening Of haulS and speeding up Of
coal train movements Will. they declare.
enable tho roads Ia handle every ton Of
coal that can possibly bc produced
withstandlng the fact that the Fuel
Administration has supported the con
tention that car shortage was respon-
>ible for the falling off in bltumlnous
coal production, the Railway Admins
tration inSnuatcS that the reiterated CRY
of a car shortage must be associated with
the campaign to increase the cost OF coal
to the railroads an increase that would
represent Sb0, 600 600 tins wear IhlS IN
crease. il is pointed out, could not be
met by Dram on the lIetSuTN Dtpdi L
mcnt. but would have 10 be paid by in
creasing passenger and freight rates. a
step that Is bitterly opposed by govern
ment officials in control Of transportation
These sharply clashing statements
thoroughly puzzle the heads Of govern
ment enterprises that require big supplies
Of fuel Il is felt. however, that the facts
about coal production should be estab-
llshed al once. while there Is still time to
avert q repetition Of the fuel famine that
paralvzed American industry last winter.
For that reason II Is almost certain that
Congress will conduct an investigation
Of the situation If the Fuel Administration
and RAILWAY Administration cannot settle
between themselves exactly what Is the
cause Of the decline in production and
how it NAV be overcome al once.