Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-02-04
UP TO GARFIELD
TO EXPLAIN NOW
His Statements on Fuel Sup
ply Never Have Been Ver-
flied as Correct

The BLACK Diamond" a coal trade
journal. in its current issue says:
The worst prophesies that were
made last spring and summer of a
coal famine for this winter have been
so far surpassed they seem not to be
very mild forecasts whereas, at the
time. it seemed that they were so
nearly impossible they could not be
true.
The places which appear to be
hardest hit are the very centers of
population in the East, namely. Bos-
ton. New York. Philadelphia and
Baltimore. 1t is hard to tell which is
harder off for coal, New York or
Boston. They occupy almost pre-
cisely the same position except that
| Boston does seem to have gotten a
shade the worst of it.
For example. manufacturing con-
Germs are closing for lack of fuel
even on the days when the govern
ment order permits them to burn
coal and in some places the public
utilities companies are in danger of
being closed down. 1t is almost inn
possible to imagine what a catas-
trophe it would be to have a gas
plant forced to suspend and have its
llld4llS SUBJECT " All lillGl lllllAGIll bON
of gas. Such things are always con-
sidered most extremely dangerous
because of the likelihood that people
will allow their valves to remain
open and then reap an explosion
later as a consequence. Regardless
of this grave danger the gas COM
panes and other public utility COM
panies and other public utility COM
that they are going to be able to run.
Thousands of homes are without any
coal az all and factories are being
compelled to close for lack of coal.
1t is almost impossible to describe
accurately in a word the situation in
New York. There has not been a day
since the first big blizzard when
shipments across the river have
equaled the figured daily consump-
tion of coal in New York. What is
more. the ice jam is almost impas-
sable and even the ferries which
carry passengers across are taking
half hour more than usual TO ne
gotiate the distance through well
broken channels. Adding to that the
railroads cannot get coal to the piers
and as a consequence the piers them
selves can only work about three
hours a day when in such a condi-
tion normally they would be working
twenty -four hours a day.
Situation Is Bad
The situation in Baltimore is ac-
curately described in one figure.
Since the terminal pool was organ
lied there. the heaviest shipments
in any one day have been 400 cars
of bituminous coal, whereas the daily
requirements are 500 cars.
In Pittsburgh the coal supply has
been cut both by rail and by water
route. A great many of the manu-
featuring concerns have depended
entirely upon coal by water. The
rivers have frozen over there and
have been frozen for several weeks
with ice gorges which have prevent
ed the movement of any coal at all.
In consequence the river coal COM
panies and consumers have to shut
down. Now the ice has begun TO
break and as it moves out is destroy
ing coal equipment, including tipples
on the river banks. The destruction
is almost incalculably large and
there is not the slightest indication
when the situation will be relieved.
In the rail movement the carriers
have been so blockaded with snow
that even coal for coke ovens which
were keeping the munitions plants
going has not moved and thus plants
are shut, slowing down production
of iron and steel all through the
middle west.
Cincinnati is in about the same
position as Pittsburgh, but the con-
dition north and northwest of that
point are considerably easier, but
everywhere the distress for coal is
most acute.
with these facts confronting
America to-day the people look back
at the frequent assurances which
were given by DR.. Garfield and the
Federal Trade Commission that no
one need to worry because there was
going to be plenty of coal since the
government would see to it. They are
beginning to ask which they should
have asked long ago, what reason
DR.. Garfield had for making any
such statements about the fuel sup