The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-04-05
BUYING OF THE COAL
!. URGED BY Mr.. MEGA
Sends Letter to Local Fuel
- Controller On Subject
PUT ORDERS IN AT ONCE
This Is Really Imperative, the
Plea Made; What State
IL, Officer Says
From Saturdays Daily.


w. ]. Morehart, county fuel admin
.istrator, urges all the coal users In
Blue Earth county to buy their next
winters supply of coal at once, as far
as practicable, and get it stored into
the private bins. Those who have
the money to buy the coal should do
so, as those that have not the ready
cash to tie up large amounts in coal
can be better supplied later on, IL
there is not too heavy a demand on
the market.
Mr.. Morehart is in receipt of let
ter on this subject from j. F. MCGEE,
federal fuel administrator for Mime
sofa, located at Minneapolis. Mr. Nc
Gee asked for recommendation as to
the fixing of the margin Of profit that
should be allowed to the local dealers.
Mr.. Morehart called together the fuel
dealers Of Mankato, Mapleton and
other parts of this county and got
their views. He has made his rec
Ommendation as to what margin of
profit should be allowed each dealer,
over and above the cost of the haul
ing, Mr.. Morehart expects that the
margin of profit for the dealers will
be fixed after about one week.
Blanks Are Sent Out.
IL, Blanks have been placed in the
hands of all the coal dealers to be fill
ed out by each customer. Each GUS
toner must state how much coal he
used last season and how much he
will need for the next cold period. If
he does not want more than six tons
of anthracite to tide him through the
year, he will be able to buy that much
at once. If he wants more than six
tons, he will be allowed only two
thirds of the estimate of his require
mentS for the season. AS for soft
coal for industrial use, there is nc
limit placed on the amount that any
one consumer will be allowed to pur-
chase at once. No man will be fur
nished any coal at all, unless he fills
out the blank, and if he makes any
false statements in it, these are liable
to get him into trouble.
Mr.. McGee's letter is in part as
follows:
Letter From MCGEE.
at is extremely doubtful if Mime
sofa can receive, during the present
received during the past year, on ac-
count of the great demands upon the
coal supply of the country made by
industries engaged in the manufac-
ture of war supplies and the vas
amount of coal required for ocean go
ing vessels carrying troops and sup
plies.
at is the desire of the United
States fuel administration at Wash.
ington that coal begin to move from
the dealers bins to the consumers
bins beginning April /, or as soOI
thereafter as coal is available. Tina
Is, the storage must be in the consum-
ers' bins and not in the dealers bins
with the coal moving out of thu
dealers bins and those bins KEEP
practically empty, our appeal for Goa
from day to day to avoid a possible
famine next winter will be more ap
to'be needed than if the dealers bin!
were being used as storage ware
houses and full of coal. The dealers
must be able to fix price on thei
coal, which they will be unable to d.
until the gross margins are establish
ed 1t is my purpose to establish re
tail gross margins throughput thu
state at once. 1t is hoped that tn,
work might be completed by April
but may be delayed few days.
81 desire that you get your com
iriittee together at once, or wher
that is impossible on account of tn
distance, the telephone can be used
l wish you would get into communi
cation with the other members, ant
give me your views as to what mar
gins ought to be established in you
county"