The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1918-01-02
DEALERS TO SELL
COAL BY BUSHEL
At LOWER PRICES

Cheaper coal for the poor Of Wash
ington, compelled to buy by the
busheI. is To be furnished by several
Of the biggest coal dealers.
These dealers voluntarily offered
to sell coal TO the bushel trade at any
price named by Federal Fuel Admins
traitor John l.. Weaver.
Mr.. Weaver is considering price
Of - cents or 80 cents a bushel The
fixed price for bushel coal is 40 cents
bushel at the yaru and IS cents
delivered.
Coal receipts in Washington for the
daily period ending at : a. m. this
morning were heavy. Receipts over
the Pennsylvania lines were l21 cars
Of soft coal and twenty-Onc cars OF
anthracite. These receipts include
some coal delivered on the last day
OF the month.
Three cars of anthracite are being
distributed through the Emergency
Distribution Bureau today. These
cars were placed yesterday. and fami-
lies with latrobes are being given the
first call.
The Emergency Bureau has been
damned all day by applicants for
coal. There is apparently no let-up
in the demand.
An inadequate office force. hand
ling applications for soft coal, added
to the confusion at the emergency
coal station. 1903 f street northwest.
today, when that place was crowded
by hundreds in need of fuel.
This office staff, consisting of
three men clerks and two women
were working hard to keep up with
the onrush of coal seekers but at
noon more than fifty men and wom-
en- were damned inside while a much
larger crowd awaited outside the Of
flee doors.
Only soft coal orders were issued,
and persons who refused to accept
such orders delayed matters in their
efforts to convince the chief clerk
in charge OF the station that blank
orders issued for anthracite could be
filled somewhere in Washington"
This mornings snowfall and con
Linued biting cold made the handling
of Washington's available coal sup
plies increasingly difficult.
There is still a sufficient supply OF
on hand to meet all de-
nands. If ii can be handled. Snow
has added TO hauling difficulties, par
iicularly with horses and carts. Many
drivers and handlers are not anxious
10 work in such weather.
Many Queer Combinations.
Many queer coaI-carIying combi-
nations have developed as a result of
Several Georgetown citizens, who
could not get coal any other way. |
made their own deliveries with a cart
he lnnrfnp 81 Ia
panies. The coal company had no
driver. one Georgetown householder. |
who for years had done no harder !
physical labor than to run for a
street car, was told that the only way |
he could get coal for his sick cLii- |
iren was to take the cart ont h'm. |
self. He loaded IT. drove to George
town, and after storing the coal. |
lrOve the cart back again to the |
northeast yard.
The labor problem is the most seri- !
ous facing the coal men at present:
Men who own or are able to borrow !
automobiles are taking coal home in |
heir cars in sacks. 1t is almost i'm |
possible to obtain trucks or express |
Sagons.
Every kind Of vehicle imaginable is !
aking coal from the Fuel Administra-
ion emergency dumps in the north |
sast and the southeast.
Several hundred impatient, rold |
WashinRtOnians bcsieEed the office |
u the Emergency Coal station. 1903 |
+ street northwest today. and the |
police were called upon to keep the |
line in proper order to facilitate is
suancc OF orders.
Men and women stood in line wait |
ng their turn. Now and then one of
hem would leave refusing to accept
IN order for coal anyone can obtain |
without the assistance Of the Coal
Administrator