The Washington herald., 1918-02-05
U. S. MAY RUN
COAL SUPPLY
FOR DISTRICT
Drastic Action Is Contem.
plated Unless Dealers
Show Improvement.

Government operation Of tha coal
business Of Washington is imminent.
The situation last Eight was more
critical than at any time previously
for years.
A thorough Investigation Of the sit
ration is being made by Edward f..
Colladay acting coal administrator
for the District. Direct confirmation
thar this Investigation was ordered
by the Federal Fuel Administration
at the request Of President Wilson
could not be obtained. No one con-
nected with the Fuel Administration,
however. would deny the report.
Faced with a division in their
ranks. dealers must establish a clear
ing house for the citys coal busi-
ness operation of which viii elfminats
present troubles.
should they fail to do so II is re-
garded as certain that immediate
government action will be taken.
There will be no further chances
given dealers to alleviate local fuel
conditions, 1t Is understood.
Committee AppoInted.
Establishment Of the clearing house
by the dealers was asked ut q meet
ing between dealers and Edward F.
Colladay. acting Fuel Administrator
for the District, held last night in
the BuilderS and Manufacturers Ex-
change. T1-7l3 Thirteenth street
northwest.
The Emergency Fuel Bureau, estab-
lished by the Fuel Administration.
would be abolished when the clear
ing house plan had been worked out
and put in operation and the dealers
themselves would handle entirely the
coal situation.
A committee of I'VE dealers was
appointed to consider the plan for q
clearing house. This committee con-
sisting Of W. W. Griffith, Edward
Chapman, L z. White. w. Hamilton
Smith. OF the ]. Maury Dove Com
spany, and r. J. Grace. will meet
again tonight at the Coal Merchants
Association quarters on G street
for discussion.
1t will be submitted to Mr.. Colladay
for approval No other action was
taken by the dealers. Several COM
planned sufficient time had not been
allowed for discussion.
Several small dealers declared they
would not consent to the closing OF
the emergency fuel bureau.
Arrangements were made by Mr..
Colladay yesterday with the United
States Fuel Administration. he said.
to have 1000 tons OF coal above the
daily average needs OF the District
shipped here for the next seven days
Mr. A. l.. Snead, OF the National
Fuel Administration. told Mr.. Colladay
that had he been in the city it would
not have been necessary for the Dis
trict schools to close on account of
lack OF coal, and assured him that
sufficient coal would be brought here
for all the needs of the city.
CoIIsday Explains.
Mr.. Colladay said. while the ma
jority of the coal dealers had done all
in their power to relieve the situation
here. there were several who had not
conducted their business as 1t should
be conducted. Referring to complaints
from large dealers that coal consigned
to them had been diverted to other
dealers and the Emergency Fuel Bu-
reau. Mr.. Colladay declared that not
a dealer in town would have got coal
yesterday. II I had diverted enough
coal to I'LL orders which would have
been received at the Emergency Bu-
reau Saturday, Sunday and today, had
II been kept open all day.
The government does not want to
take over the coal business Of this
city. But the government will either
absorb all OF the coal business or 1t
will gradually get out"
Coal consigned to a large wholesale
dump operator here was diverted from
MIN to other dealers yesterday by
the acting fuel administrator. This
dealer had absolutely refused to keep
open his dump Sunday. when II would
have aided very materially in clearing
mp the present situation, when ne was
requested to do 50 by the fuel admin
istrator.
Several small dealers who attend
ed the meeting refused to support
the plan for a clearing house. Under
such a plan they said they would
be forced out of bushes by some Of
the large dealers through the i'm
proper distribution OF coal.
Several voiced the hope that The
government would take oxer the
coal business OF the city. Certain
ly we want government operation"
enc dealer said. speaking for a
group OF four dealers who had op-
posed the clearing house plan.
That's just what we want"