Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-02-26
I'D ISSUES WARNING
AGAINST COAL FAMINE
Criticizes Both Garfield and
Baker and Demands Stab
ilized Measures
WOULD END U. s.CoNTRoL
Recommends Immediate Announce.
ment of Prices to Prevail After
First Of April
WASHINGTON Enh of

WASHINGTON, Feb. &c.
AZ predicting n coal shortage OF The
most disastrous character in the neal
s future unless the fuel administration
ceases experimentation and guess.
+ work. Senator Reed today submitted
me 1uei.food investigating committee
q . Statement of facts developed at the re.
: cent inquiry into the coal situation.
Amid the chaos now existing in the
coai business from the mine TO the re.
hii yard. one fact indisputable appears
namely, that uncertainty must at once
sive way to stability or We will In tho
near future be confronted by n coal
horsage of the most disastrous char
acter.' Reed declared.
Reed submitted the following recon-.
menaations TO avert this situation:
Ending of governmental interference
wi{h the coal business.
Immediate announcement of nrices
wnich VIII prevail after April |, so
VIA. 9eslers may make contracts.
40 rhnns ,hsns Or or Information TO consumers.
aralisple, and at what prices.
heeo Sharply criticized the handling
Of the coal situation By the fuel admin
rraion. Quoting liberally from the
sstimony at the hearing he showed
tnat coal production for 1917 exceeded
mat Tor 1915 by 16 per cent for anthra-
Z cHe and BY per cent for bituminous.
CAUSES OF FAMINE
At the same time coal shipped abroad.
including that for bunkering chips sail
ing from American ports. was less than
that used in 1916 by more than 100000
tons.
That serious coal famine occurred.
Feed declares, is due TO the following
causes:
Reputation of the prices fixed last
summer by the Lane committee.
The lapse of sixty days between
population of the Lane prices and the
nxlng OF new prices by the Federal
/. Trade Commission
Constant assurances given the pub-
lic OF an abundant supply of coal. TO-
getner with advice not 10 buy at cur
An unwise multiplicity of priority
Forcing of coal into tho Northwest
while the needs of Middle West and
eastern States were ignored
Reed reviewed the work of Secretarv
OF The Interior Lane and +. $. Peabody
last June in fixing coal prices, the re-
quotation of these prices later by Sec
retary of War Baker and the disas-
trous effect on the confidence and the
business of many coal dealers.
lie then quoted at length the conflict
ing statements made from time to time
regarding the Threatened coal shortage.
CRITICIzES BAKER ALSO
Fuel Administrator Garfield and Sec
retary Baker were criticized for telling
the public not 10 buy when coal was
plentiful and cheap. Reed quoted the
many priority orders issued by Judge
Lovett and others to show how they
had added to the confusion and con.
gestion on railroads, thus accentuating
the coal shortage.
Coming to the sending of coal to the
Northwest through lake ports, Reed
said:
II one-tenth of the energy expended
ip getting coal to Canada and the
Northwest had been expended in de-
uvering bunker coal no ship would
an hour because of the lack of fuel.
The coal sent to the Northwest and
70 Canada In excess of their consump-
tton for 1916 was 6,S7T,550 tons or
l.964.6b5 tons more Than enough TO
have bunkered all the ships leaving
New York. Boston. Philadelphia and
Hampton Roads for foreign ports dur
ing 1917.
He pointed out that though the North.
west is chiefly agricultural, the coal
was shipped through Ohio. a great manu-.
featuring state, when coal shortage
existed and forced into the Northwest
~The hardships OF the peop.e of Ohio
were aggravated OH october l." said
Reed. when Fuel Administrator Gar.
Held said the coal moving by lake shin.
nent to ports on Lakes Superior and
Michigan was inadequate and ordered
continuance of such shipments with
priority in carriage
This Ohio famine, Reed said, was re-
peated all through the East and New
England, where people had been told
that though the coal was being rushed
to, the Northwest, they would get plenty