Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-01-22


Had the coal administrator known
anything about the coal problem, in
deed, he would have done exactly
what he failed to do. Instead Of vast
ing weeks and months OF valuable
time in quibbling over o. or 50-cent
differences in ton prices, he would
have devoted himself whole-heartedly
to the task of getting as much coal
mined as possible and getting as much
Of it as might be distributed to the
consumers whose wants would be Of
first consideration when the inevitable
shortage should come. These consum-
ers, Of course, are the household
ers, and distribution of coal to- them
is dffhcult and costly in proportion to
its importance.
What the coal administrator did do.
and what he should not have done
under any circumstances, was to ad-
wise against summertime coal buying,
warn the public that such purchases
would be considered boarding, hold
out the vague hope Of future reduc-
tions in price as an added argument
and, to crown it all, declare in for
NAL statement that there was no real
shortage Of coal. but merely psyche
logical shortage. whatever that may
be or might have been.
It is with q sense Of having dis
charged conscientiously duty to the
public that The Courier recalls that it
devoted columns, at that time, to ar
guments. appeals and advice diamet-
rically opposed to DR.. Garfield's ros-
cate pronouncements. We urged our
readers to buy their winters coal In
advance; We staked The Courier's
reputation for judgment and activity
In the interest of the public on the
prophecy that a coal famine such as
America never had known would BIO
upon the country with the new year;
We expressed the opinion that any
price reduction which might be OBJ
tanned by delaying purchases would
be small and absolutely Of no, conse-
quence compared with inability to OBJ
tain coal at any figure. We urged ad-
vance coal buying as a measure Of
personal safety. Of home protection
and Of loyalty to the nation.
Events have shown that The Cour-
ier's advice was sound and that DR..
his promise. His psychological
coal shortage has developed into an
astounding fuel famine which. If he is
right this time. seriously threatens
the nation in it's effort to transport
soldiers and foodstufs to Europe.
Certainly, whether he is right or not,
this coal famine has produced par
alysis Of business in half of the coun-
try, the like of which never has been
known in history and the result OF
which 1t is difficult to measure and
diseuieting to contemplate.
when 1t was too late to repair the
damage his earlier ignorance Of the
coal problem had wrought, rr. Gar
field was forced to a realization that
production, hampered by incomplete
and crippled railroad facilities. would
not keep pace with the winter de-
nand He has halted industry now
in order that householders may be
supplied with coal The money they
should obtain to pay for it. in many
cases. is denied them by the enforced
idleness of their places OF employ
ment II employers obey the coal ad-
ministrator's injunction7-which on it's
face is impracticable in many instances
and pay wages for idle DAYS. bust
ness will lose multiplied millions.
When DR.. Garfield says there is an
production of manufactured arti-
cles in American Industrial plants he
means of course, that production
exceeds the ability of the railroads TO
carry freight. not that production en-
ceeds demand. Impractical as he has
shown himself to be. ii is not believ-
"hle that he would say seriously that
k.ere is real over-production. al