New-York tribune., 1918-10-26
Mayors Plan to
Furnish Coal for
Poor of City Fails
Conference Develops Un-
named Contractor Would
Make $25, 900 a Week
Dealers Bid Is Lower
Cellarmen Assured of Not
Losing Livelihood for This
Year at Least

mayor Hylan 8 plan TO FURNISH coal
to the poor through an unnamed man,
whom he was to designate, fell through
after a conference at the City Hall
yesterday, when it developed that this
man would make at least $25,000 a
week for q period Of no less than
twelve weeks, or 100000 In all.
The man admitted all this and said
he was stevedore and truckman and
had never sold coal before.
At the City Hall it was said the
chief reason for failure Of the Mayors
plan to furnish coal to the poor at
from 45 TO 55 cents a hundredweight
through this particular contractor was
that the big coal dealers of New York
City offered to sell it at 42 cents q
hundredweight. They attached but one
condition-that the Fuel Administra-
tor gave them 100000 tons extra
coal to take care of the additional
trade Just what the Mayor thought
of this counter-proposition could not
be learned. All who attended confer
ence were loath to go into details.
At the conference were the Mayor,
Delos W. Cooke, Federal Fuel Adminis-
Alfred j. Johnson, the City Chamber
lain, and the contractor. The confer
ence lasted about an hour and was
held in the Mayors Office. Neither Mr..
Johnson. who was appointed by the
Mayor to superntend the delivery Of
coal to the poor by the bag and bucket,
nor Mr.. Cooke would talk The con-
tractor, who had left the conference
a few moments before they did, shook
hands with Mr.. Cooke.
wei, I've done some good, anyway"
said the stevedore and contractor as
he shook Mr.. Cookies hand.
"Yes," replied the local Fuel Ad
mlnlstrator, II like your face and the
way you talk. hope to see YOU some
time again"
When Mr. Cooke was asked what
had taken place at the meeting the
City Chamberlain interrupted and said:
No Statement by Hylan
"Mr. Cooke will give out a formal
statement in half an hour The Mayor
Will have nothing to say, nor shall L."
But the contractor and stcvedore was
more communicative. He explained
that his plan, which met with the
coal in his wagons from barges to
vacant lots owned by the city, and
dump it there and sell it at as cents
a bag to be taken away. And where
there were no vacant lots owned bv
the city, which would not cost him any
rent, he proposed, he said, to drive his
wagons to designated street corners
and sell by the hundredweight.
He explained that he had no thought
Of delivering the coal to the houses, as
the Mayor stated in his letter pub
lished on Monday.
And there is one thing | would like
to correct" said the stevedorc and
contractor. "That is the statements in
some of the papers that | would make
IL cents on each hundredwcight. I
only would make five cents on each
hundredwel light. OF course, with
$4,000 tons of coal weekly, that
would net $4,000 profit But the
dealers offered to do it for az cents.
SO it is all off,"
An official at the Fuel Administra
tors office said the poor we're now
being supplied their coal through 20 600
ccellarmen, and that it would be almost
impossible to supplant the system un-
der present conditions.
On behalf of Mr.. Cooke the follow
ing statement was issued:
"Delos W. Cooke, New York State
Fuel Administrator, after a conference
with the Mayor of New York City, an
nounces that the Mayor has promised
his full support in such matters as
are related to the general distribution
of coal in Greater New York, recog-
nlzing that Mr.. Cooke only has full
and complete authority from the Fed
eral government to supervise such dis
tribution. The Mayor and Mr.. Cooke
are in full accord with respect to the
essential point of seeing that people Of
small means are given the most favor
able consideration"
1t was said by those in a position to
know that the cellarmen viii not have
their means of livelihood taken away
from them this year at least.