The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1918-04-18
Consumers Can Help Prevent
Shortage Next Winter by
Buying Now, Says Fuel
Administrator.
GARFIELD SOUNDS WARNING.
Better Borrow Money Now TO Buy
Than Do Without Later. He says--if
Your Storage Space isn't Large
Enough, Enlarge It
BY HARRY a. GARFIELD.

BY HARRY A. GARFIELD,
United States Fuel Administrator.
Every householder. every public rtil-
ity and every Industrial user OF coal
engaged In work essential to the prose-
eution of the war are earnestly ad-
vised and urged TO place without de-
lay their orders for coal to cover their
needs for the II months beginning
April 1.
During the past IL months there has
been suffering among consumers and a
curtnilment Of essential production by
Industries through Inability TO obtain
necessary fuel after. the beginning of
winter. A year ago consumers were
led to believe that they might safely
withhold their orders until later In the
year. They iabored under the impress
sion that coat could be bought and Sc
cured as well at one time as another.
They ~ere told that there was plenty
Of coal for everybody and that there
would be plenty of coal cars to move
the coal Ia also.
This advice and its acceptance by
consumers was one OF the contributing
causes to the coal shortage. with its
consequent suffering among domestic
consumers and ies>ening Ia production
OF commodities needed la our war nc.
tivitiex
The Fuel Administration was no;
theu In existence and did not begin It's
work until August S3 1t was then al.
ready too late to undo the harm which
had been done. The Fuel Administra-
tiou would be negligent OF its duty to
the public II Il failed to call attention
NJ this time to the unfortunate resrits
Of the mistaken course pursued BY the
public = year ago and 10 warn all con-
sumers tn the most emphatic manner
possible that repetition Of those re
suits eau Be avoided only By accepting
and acting Immediately upon the Fuel
Admtnistration's advice. here given:
Order Veur Coal a Once.
Let every consumer of the cfaeses
mentioncd ascertain his fuel require
n,ents for the coming year Do this
at once. Order sufficient coal 10 meet
thcse requirements. Place your orders
at once II domestic consumers have
not sufficient storage space for the
coal they will need they should en-
large their bins. ~ i,upiic ul;ssties and
Industries Engaged upon government
work a.ase not suficient storage space
thcy; should at once provide Il.
Tie production Of coal In this coun.
try Is fundamentally a transportation
problem There arc enough coal cars
and enough locomotives to transport
the necessary Qunntity OF coal. only II
every car and every locomotive 10
used to tte maximum capacity every
day In the year. There are enough
operatives In the mlnes 10 get the coal
from the ground IL those operatives
can work every day In the year and 10
thr coal cars and locomotives are
available every day.
The fuel problem is to get the coal
from the nrst place OF deposit TO the
Anal place Of deposit with ss little de-
lay as possible and In as steady and
continuous . STREAM as circumstances
compared to a water pipe. which needs
10 run full all tho time to carry tho
necessary amount Of water TO Its des-
tination- n that water is shut on for
any appreciable time Il means en uiti-
mate shortage The pipe can carry no
more than its maximum capacity per
day.
Borrow. " You Mvst.
Incsnyentence OF paying for coal in
the spring or summer when II will not
be needed until autumn o. winter
should not influence any consumer to
delay placing his order and securing
his supply. Il II far wiser to borrow
money In the spring to pay for ones
coal than to wait until autumn or
winter, when II the coal has not been
mined and shipped money cannot pro-
euro u.
The Fuel Administration. through
the State Fuel Administrators and To-
cal committees. Is prepared In every
reasonable way to aid public utilities.
essential Industries. retail dealers aad
Domestic consumers in placing their
orders and In securing assurance Of
suficient supply Of fuel. All these
governmental agencies however. are
powcrlees II the consumers themselves
fail to act. Again. therefore. the Fuel
Administration urges every consumer
to place his orders Immediately. This
should ordinarily be done through the
medium Of supply upon which the con-
sunscr has relied in the past. II this
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