The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1918-05-09
FOR EMERGENCY CASES ONLY
Committee Tells People That City Will
Not Have in Excess of 5000 Tons OF
Soft Coal to Dispose of This Season
Dealers Slow to Place Orders.

An important announcement was
made by the committee in charge of
the Municipal Coal Yard this morning.
The city is not going to make an eff
fort to book any general orders for
coal this year and any part that the
municipal yard may take in distri-
button of coal in Kenosha for the COM
ing inter will be of an emergency ma
ture.
I'VE want the matter clearly I'M
derstoodo declared Aldermen Meier
and Shearer of the committee this
morning. The city is just starting
in this business and it will probably
be rather modest start. We do not
want the people to depend on the city
to fill general orders for coal. We
are booking no orders but on the other
hands We are urging the people of the
city to order their coal through their
regular dealers and order it now The
city does not expect to handle more
than 5000 tons at the extreme limit
emergency purposes. -
It was admitted by members of the
| committee that the city has placed no
orders for coal but the members seem
ed to believe that it will be possible
for the city to get the emergency sup
ply of possibly 5000 tons.
Alderman Shearer declared that he
did not want the people to get the
wrong idea of the city's activity along
these lines, "We want it understood
that we are only trying to help out
this year and that we are not seeking
to supplant dealers in handling coal. =
Fuel Administrator Burke when APP
pealed to stated that he could not
guarantee to get supply of coal for
the municipal yards. ct have told
the Mayor to go ahead and order all
the coal he could place orders for' Mr..
Burke said this morning, but this
department can not guarantee@the de-
hveries of any such orders and we
realize that it will be very difficult
for the city to purchase any con-
siderable supply Of coal unless orders
were booked before this time. /"
The fuel administrator admitted as
well that leading local dealers had
been holding off on placing actual or
ders until after they could find out
just hat was going to be done by the
city. These companies have sought to
get orders placed for normal supply
Of coal but in some cases they have
received no answer to their offer to
accept contracts for deliveries for next
winter.
Members of the council committee
declared that the activities of the city
would be limited to emergency deliver
les of soft coal only as it is recognized
that it is going to be very difficult to
get any orders for hard coal placed.
The important thing in connection
with the announcement of the city com
mittee is that the people go right
ahead and place their orders for coal,
hoping to have them filed and not to
depend on the city to meet consider.
liable shortage which may come as
result of late orders being placed by
some Of the dealers.
Orders should be fled with the deal
ers or with the fuel administrator now
if a serious shortage during the com
ing winter is TO be avoided.
Seizure of coal for cities will I'M
doubtedly be very difficult this sea
son as the coal to seize is going to
be decidedly short.