The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-04-19
DO YOUR XMAS
C0AL|NC EARLY:
249 DAYS LEFT
Buy Now or Shiver Later Is
the Warning of Experts on
Fuel.
BY HENRY M. HYDE,
In CHICAGO Tribune,

Coal consumers Of all classes will be
we'll advised to buy their entire sup
ply Of fuel for the coming year as soon
as possible. Neither can they afford 10
be particular about the kind of coal
they buy. Anthracite, semi-smokeless
from southern Illinois, or even soft
coal from the central and northern
part of the state-any OF them will
burn much better than nothing. When
zero weather comes next winter coal
bin full of even smoky and socty soft
coal is likely to be a most desirable
possession.
In the opinion of men who may not
be quoted, but who should be in a po-
sition to know, and whose advice is
unprejudiced, there Is almost certain
to be & larger demand for fuel during
the next twelve months than the mines
OF the country will be able to supply.
AS to price, the consumer is advised
to pay whatever the dealer asks,
within reason. He may be sure that
in the long run he will be protected
against extortion. 1t is and will re-
main impossible to fix a flat retail
price for Chicago and the surrounding
territory.
Mine Prices Vary.
The fuel administration has already
fixed mine mouth prices. These prices
vary with each of the coal producing
districts into which the state has been
divided. In case the coal is carefully
picked or sorted at the mine a further
addition Of 20 cents a ton is allowed.
To this price must be added the freight
charge, which varies with the distance
OF the mine from Chicago. If the coal
Is handled by jobber he is allowed a
charge OF 80 cents ton. Retail
prices have been fixed in different
parts OF the city and suburbs on the
basis of calculating the cost of doing
business, plus profit of not mora
than 35 cents a ton.
Therefore retail prices will vary
somewhat with each variety of coal
and with the locality in which it is
sold.
Any consumer buying coal at price
which he thinks extortionate is ad-
vised to keep the receipted bill. 1t Is
probable that an adjusting bureau will
be established in the office of Cook
County Fuel Administrator Durham,
which will undertake to check such
bills and to see that no overcharges
are permitted.
No Pocahontas Supply.
AS has been announced, there will
be no supply whatever Of Pocohontas
smokeless coal in the Chicago market
this year. Consumers who have hitl-
erto used smokeless coal have been ad-
vised to buy coal from the southern
Illinois fields instead. So many have
followed this advice that the southern
mines are now oversOld, having orders
on hand which will consume the pro-
duction for the next fiv, or six weeks.
BY the action Of President Wilson,
taken yesterday, In ordering the rail
roads to pay the same price for their
coal as other consumers, it is hoped
the production Of soft COAL which has
fallen off to an alarming extent, will
be now speeded up.
Official figures show that the btu
minous mines Of the country during
March produced less than 70 per cent
of their full mine capacity. For April
the figures are not yet available, but
they will show a still greater reduc-
ton.
Coal mine operators blame this
great loss in coal mined directly on
the railroads. The official statement
shows that nowhere east of the Mis-
sissippi river did the railroads deliver
to the coal mines more than 20 to 80
per cent of the empty coal cars need
ed for loading. Meanwhile the nation
al railroad administration was at
tempting to force the coal operators
to sell coal to the railroads at lower
price than had been fixed by the
fuel administration.
Many Mines Closed.
It is evensuggested Nhat the failure
TO deliver n sufficient supply of coal
cars may have had some connection
with this attempt At any rate, the
railroads have bought only coal
enough for immediate use during the
last few weeks. The result is that
many important mines and groups of
mines have been altogether shut
down.
Meanwhile also DR.. Garfield, fue;
administrator, and John SHELTON VIII
liams, director of purchases under
Director General of Railroads McAdoo,
have been quarreling over the price.
The row reached a climax at the
White House on Wednesday and was
followed yesterday by the announce
ment that President Wilson had de-
'cided in favor OF DR., Garfield.
Most OF the railroads have been
planning to buy and store vast guam
titles OF ccal as Soou as they could