Evening star., 1918-02-04

Hrety out OF coal The dealer had coal
SATURDAY. afternoon she got basket,
engaged 8 bog. with = sled and went to
the dealer and begged for a couple of
bushels to run her over Sunday.
The dealer refused to let her have It.
small Quantity he would have to do
the same to others. Then the woman
asked that the money she had paid be
refunded to her. The dealer said he
Office, locked the door Behind him and
sat down. to smoke q cigar in plain
view through a. window, while the
woman waited outside with neither coal
nor money. .'T :,
Extortion Is Charged.
Another case he is investigating is
exacted. The report of this case was
made in writing with full Details. on
Thursday. January "a, Mr.. A. obtained
from the emergency bureau an order
ior a ton Of coal, directed to a dealer
IN the northwest. On the Tuesday
morning maornins following Mrs. A. called the
he said he had the coal and hauling
equipment available. but that he had
received no order from the emergency
bureau. She notified her husband at
bureau and was given a note to the
oeaier. calling attention to the fact that
the order had been issued Thursday.
confronted with this note, the dealer
had not had a team available. MI. A.
oHered to get team and have the coal
hauled, but the dealer asked him to
wait, promising to see what he could
90. inat evening man drove up with
a ton of coal. presented the dealers bill
Tor 1920. the full price for a ton Of
coal delivered, and demanded $3.50 ex-
ira as delivery charge.
MRS. A called the dealer by telephone
and protested. The dealer replied that
so for delivery did seem "a little high" !:
tnat she should pay the driver $12. and
that he would adjust the difference"
Inere have been numerous complaints
that extortion has been practiced Through
an extra charge for delivery. Almost every
day there are complaints at the Office Of
the fuel administrator from newcomers in
the city that they are unable to get coal
because dealers refuse to serve any hut
their regular customers. This is a tirect
istrator.
100 D: c. Teams Haul Coal.
Yesterday eighty-aye teams nrov,dsd
dealers by the District government were At
work helping haul coal, and this morning
hundred District teams reported at the
YARDS. Following yesterdays thaw and
,aess ,aes nights ;.: freeze: the streets were in
nave been at any time this winter. Great
ridges and bumps in places made the noe
OF trucks almost impossible and the hauI-
or less. ~ ''aiA
Receipts Of hard coal over Sunday
were not as heavy as had been hoped
FOR. but there Is a supply here beyond
the capacity of dealers to make i'm
mediate delivery. even with the heIp
the District is giving. This stock is
not evenly distributed among dealers
ana this morning Acting Administrator
CSoiiaday took large number of cars
from dealers who had more than thev
can deliver and gave them 10 deajers
who had no coal
Receipts of soft coal were NOR. iii
eral. and 1t is believed the scarcity Of
bftuminous which threatened last wesL
now will be averted. The deliverv
problem. of course. affects soft coal az
well as hard. "S
Exhaustion Of Stocks
A matter that now is eiyinp fr.,
ministration officials serious Concern is
the exhaustion o6 stocks in private hin .
laid in last simmer. Many Washinetnn
noIse.ol1ers ne , Dought supplies sufficient
but the unusually severe and proIoneeI
cold has caused this coal to he hmr6 ss -
much faster than had been exnectsS
nnw Many % .. Ines .nese s9mmer-bought stocks
seeking emergency coal, therefora is
increased. 1t is feared there Lii F. .s =
growing number from now on and un.
less Increased shipments can be oht.in
ed the, situation threatens
worse instead of better. :" sfo"
| The one hope fuel administration On
cials are able to see Is that snow ms,
\ tfon be cleared.
/ The emergency distribution of,,k,
opened for business again this naorniaS Z
: with fair supplies OF both hard ~
cSalapned oa .Ssc0od Pazs.1 -. :