The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-09-03
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORM ALTON
Blu REAU
COAL PROBLEM LOOMS LARGE.
Washington. D. c.


Washington, d. c., Aug. 31.-Now
examine his heating plant. give it a
thoro cleaning and, If necessary, have
| it repaired. 1t will not be long be-
fore homes will have to be artificially
| heated. and the fuel administration
/ calls upon every American not to
waste coal by burning it in an ineffi-
| cient furnace. A broken part, a bad
| ly covered pipe, even a trivial crack
may mean the loss of large quantities
| of heat which we can i'll afford to lose
next winter. Any landlord refusing to
make, the necessary repairs should be
| reported to the local fuel admins
| traitor.
AS a special patriotic duty, the head
/ of the household is also asked to care
for his own heating plant this win
ter. He should study it as carefully
as his wife studies the matter of food.
and learn to get from every ton of
| coal every unit of heat that it can
possibly supply. Investigation has
| shown that a great deal of coal is
| wasted every year thru the ignorance
of household stokers. 1t is almost a
universal custom, for example, to let
i the temperature of a house drop to a
low degree at night, thereby requir-
ing twice as much coal to heat il up
again the next morning. Some one
has said that most of the misery in
the, world is caused by good-natured
ignorance. Don't let this be the cause
of coal famine next winter.
The fuel situation steadily grows
| more serious. The mines are turning
out more coal than ever before, but
only with top-notch speed can they
keep up with the ever increasing de-
mands of war production. On the first
or April the government and all plants
manufacturing war materials sent to
the fuel administration estimates of
the next years coal requirements
Like many things perpetrated on the
first of April, these estimates have
proved unreliable. Thus the coal re-
qulrements of the navy, estimated at
three and half million tons on that
date, increased to six million tons by
the middle of July, while now it is
estimated that at least eight million
tons OF coal must be furnished the
navy up to the end of 1919.
The amazing rapidity with which
the shipping board is launching ships
mas also put an unusual strain upon
the coal supply. When the annual
allotment was made in April ten mil
lion tons were assigned to the ship
ping board; this has since been raised
to thirteen million. Likewise, coal
Tor bunkering purposes, at first esti-
mated at thirteen and half million
tons, has grown steadily in demand
until present calculations place it at
tWenty-one millions.
In addition to these government re-
quirements, many war plants, rated at
the beginning of the coal year for
marked increases over their last years
allotments, are now demanding still
more coal Steel plants and furnaces,
particularly, which are greatly I'M
creasing their production by running
full time for twenty-four hours a day,
are constantly sending in requests for
extra tons of coal. Ana idea of the
number of tons may be Had when you
consider that five tons of coal are
used in the production of one ton of
steel. Unexpected demands are also
being received by the fuel administra-
ton from brand new war industries
authorized by the war Industries board
since the first of April.
Last year the total coal consumption
of the nation was approximately $780,
10000 net tons, of which about one
hundred million was anthracite and
five hundred and fifty million was
chinery of war running at incredible
speed. a conservative estimate places
the total requirements at 735,00O,000
tons. A slight increase has been
achieved in the production of anthra-
cite coal. The rest of the increase
of greater quantities of bituminous
coal or by the conservation of fuel on
the part of the public.
The production of bituminous coal
Is largely dependent upon transporta-
ton facilities. Since it is impra ctica-
Bile to store 4his kind of coal at the
mines. it can be mined only when a
railroad car is waiting to carry it
away. In other words. it can be mined
only as fast as it can be shipped.
Thus if on account of billiards. or
other unforeseen circumstances, the
transportation facilities should be tied
up next winter there is certain to be a
coal shortage. In this event the fuel
administration announces that the re-
quirements of war will be filled first,
those of domestic consumers second,
and those of non-essential industries
last.
The fuel ration is not yet a neces-
sity, as it is in some of the European
countries, but the government is de-
pending upon the patriotic spirit of
all Americans in the matter of saw
ing coal. No special restrictions have
been placed upon domestic consumers
they are merely asked to take all
possible precautions against waste
The maintenance of clean, efficient
heaters is one such precaution. 9th
on heat is by weather-stripping your
doors and windows, by Installing
storm doors, by turning off the heat in
unused rooms whenever possible. by
making covers for your radiators in
the case of a hot-water system. bv
avoiding extravagant temperatures
and by studying the rules applying to-
the system of heating in your house.
Moreover. don't buy patent chem
lcals guaranteed to make one ton of
coal do the work of four. Every fall
large assortment OF such articles
said to possess this marvellous faculty
are put on the market for the benefit
Of the inexperienced. The United
states bureau of mines has conducted
experiments with all of them in its,
sNperlmental plant in Pittsburgh. and
| has succeeded In proving that thev are
worthless. Not. only do they fail to
make one ton of coal do the work of
TOUR, but they prevent it from doing