Denver labor bulletin., 1918-10-19
OFFICIAL FACTS
ON FUEL PROBLEM
GREATLY INCREASED DE
MAND FOR COAL.
Production Does Not Begin to Equal
Requirements, Hence the Saving
Campaign Inaugurated by Fuel
Administrator Garfield.

The war program of the nation de-
mands S0,000,000 more tons of coal
, this year than last.
We are calling for 100000 tons of
steel ships, and to manufacture and
deliver the steel for them will take
14O00, 900 tons of coal. Three million
monthly delivery of troops to Europe,
and 1000, 900 tons to transport their
supplies. One hour of intensive ar
tillery action at the front uses up
1900 tons of steel, which it takes
1920 tons of coal to produce. To
manufacture and transport the co.
900. 900 shells that were fired by the
French in the battle of Verdun, called
for the consumption of nearly 9,OOO,-
600 tons of coal.
The demands for coal this year have
increased in American industrial
plants IS per cent, in gas and electric
utilities Is per cent, in shipping 30
per cent, in the railroads Z per cent,
and in domestic consumption 13 per
cent.
Shortage of Mine Labor.
1t has been impossible to provide
for these increases by increased pro-
duction There have been 224 new
mines opened and weekly production
has risen as high as II per cent in
crease over the corresponding week
of 1917, but there has not been the
necessary mine labor available to meet
the whole demand and there have not
been coal cars enough to keep the coal
moving from the mines.
In an attempt to meet the deficit,
the fuel administration has carried
out thoro campaign of saving. 1t
has undertaken to inspect the coun-
try's 250,0 900 steam producing plants,
and hopes to save thereby 20,000,000
tons of coal a year. AS result of
this inspection, in Connecticut alone
eighty plants are saving $4,000 tons
annually. One plant in Syracuse is
making a saving that will amount to
10000 tons a year. In the city of
Chicago three plants are saving $4,000
tons by substituting electricity and
water power for steam.
How Fuel Is Saved.
By the introduction of "skip-stop''
schedules on all street railways, it is
expected that another million and a
half tons may be saved. Further saw
ings have been made by consolidating
ice plants, small power plants, etc,
by reducing outdoor lighting and ad-
vertising signs, and by obtaining
greater economy in hotels, ofhces,
] apartment houses and public build
ings. 1t is estimated that a million
tons will be saved by a campaign to
substitute tungsten electric lamps for
the less economical carbon filament
lamps. And by process of distilla-
ton at low temperature, it has been
found possible to extract valuable oils
and by-products from coal and to
make from the residue an excellent
smokeless coal in briquettes, with a
great saving of fuel.
Fuel has been conserved for essen
tial war industries by limiting. the
amount used in brewing, in green
houses, in the manufacture of wall pa
per, pianos, automobiles, building ma
terials, etc Exports to Canada have
been reduced by agreement with the
Canadian fuel controller. By a zone
system of distribution, the railroad
haul has been made as short as possi-
BILE and the congestion of traffic pre-
vented. By providing for the order