The Raymer enterprise., 1918-04-18
Consumers Can Help Prevent
Shortage Next Winter by
Buying Now, Says Fuel
Administrator.
GARFIELD SOUNDS WARNING.
Better Borrow Money Now 70 Buy
Than Do Without Later, He Says-n
Yeur Storage Space isn't Large
Enough, Enlarge Il
BY HARRY A. GARFIELD,

ESnHf ~ 9Nsft - .~t
United States Fuel Administrator.
Every householder, every public util-
ity and every Industrial user Of coal
engaged In work essential to the prose-
cution Of the war are earnestly ad-
vised and urged to place without de-
lay their orders for coal TO cover their
needs for the IL months beginning
April /.
During the past Il months there has
been suffering among consumers and
curtailment OF essential production by
Industries through inability to obtain
necessary fuel after the beginning Of
winter. A year ago consumers we're
led to believe that they might safely
withhold their orders until later in the
year. They labored under the impress
sion that coal could be bought and Sc
cured as well at one time as another.
They were told that there was plenty
of coal for everybody and that there
would be plenty Of coal cars to move
the coal In also.
This advice and It's acceptance by
consumers was one Of the contributing
causes to the coal shortage. with Its
consequent suffering among domestic
consumers and lessenlng In production
OF commodities needed In our war &C
tivitles.
The Fuel Administration was not
then In existence and did not begin It's
work until August q. 1t was then al
ready too late to undo the harm which
had been done. The Fuel AdmInIstra-
ton would be negligent OF Its duty to
the public II 1t failed to Gull attention
at this time to the unfortunate results
OF the mistaken course pursued by the
public year ago and to warn all con-
sumgs In the most en9hstle manner
possible that repe,iti( pf those re-
suits can be avoided only BY accepting
and acting Immediately u, IN the Fuel
Administrations advice here given.
Order Your Coal at Once.
Let every consumer Of the classes
mentioned ascertain his fuel require
ments for the coming year. Do this
at once. Order sufficient coal to meet
those 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 II public utilities and
Industries engaged upon government
work have not sufficient storage space
they should at once provide IT.
The production Of coal in this conn.
try is fundamentally transportation
problem. There are enough coal cars
and enough locomotives to transport
the necessary quantity Of coal, only II
every car and every locomotive is
used to Its maximum capacity every
day In the year, There are enough
operatives In the mines to get the eoal
from the ground II those operatives.
can work every day In the year and II
the coal cars and locomotives are
available every day.
The fuel problem Is to get the coal
from the first place Of deposit to the
final place of deposit with as little de-
lay as possible and In as steady and
continuous stream as circumstances
VIII permit The railroads may be
compared to a water pipe, which needs
TO run full all the time TO carry the
necessary amount OF water to It's des-
tlnatlon. II that water Is shut of for
any appreciable time It means an ulti-
mate shortage. The pipe can carry no
more than Its maximum capacity per
day.
Borrow, N You Must