The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-01-23
Meeting OF BUSINESS MEN.
THE FUEL ORDER AND THE Eff
Feet IN SUMTER CONSID-
Erred.
Committee Appointed to Secure Con-
cert OF Action Among Merchants
Coal Prices Discussed.

The meeting called by Chairman r.
B. Belser of the City Fuel Admins
tration Board to meet at the Chamber
Of Commerce rooms at 8 o'clock
Thursday night was representative Of
the business interests of Sumter,
there being between seventy-flve and
a hundred men present, practically
every business and calling having one
or more representatives. When the
meeting was called to order by Chair
man Belser. Mr.. 1. C. Strauss, Fuel
Administrators for Seventh District,
stated the object of the meeting to
10 to consider the fuel order issued by
National Administrators Garfield and
to determine how ii would affect the
manufacturing and business interests
o. the city; and. also to reach an un-
derstanding as TO course of action
20 be followed By the merchants In
respect to the suspension OF business
on ten consecutive Mondays. He re-
viewed The conditions that made the
fuel order necessary. saying that it
was a certainty that only the most
urgent necessity had influenced the
National Fuel Administrator to issue
the order. and that 1t was the pa
triotic duty OF every citizen to obey
the order and cooperate in every way
possible i'm carrying out the wishes OF
the government. He had the utmost
confidence that the people Of Sumter
without exception, had no other in
tontion that to obey the order cheer
fully and loyally. when they were in
formed precisely what the govern
ment expected of them.
After considerable discussion, in
which n number OF business men par
ticiated, q resolution was adopted TO
the effect that it was the purpose of
the people OF Sumter to loyalty and
whole-heartedly obey the order as
ministrator; and that, TO insure the
united and concerted cooperation OF
all the business men and others af-
fected by the order. committee OF
ten should be appointed TO call on all
Of the merchants and other business
men, that the committee should ex-
plain the fuel order and that the eff
fort be made to obtain a unanimous
agreement as to whether or not the
stores and business houses should OBJ
serve the next ten Mondays as a holi j.
day. The object OF the proposed
agreement as to closing on Monday
was to have uniform action, so that
there should not be some stores
keeping open and attempting to do
business without heat, while others
were closed.
Following this discussion Of fuel
situation i'm Sumter, the prices charg-
ed for fuel and the outlook for flu
ture supplies received consideration.
During the discussion Of coal prices.
Mr.. Geo. F. Epperson stated that ne
had been charging $1,000 per ton in
either ton or half ton lots. and that
at this price he was practically swap
ping dollars. owing to the higher cost
OF coal, the greatly increased cost Of
doing business and the high wages he
had TO pay for labor He was asked
the cost of the coal at the mine. He
stated that he was paying 1925 per
ton and $40 per ton freight.
II was stated that the understand
ing that the fuel administration had
fixed basis price for coal at retail
should be. cost. plus the normal pro-
fit in previous years and thirty per
cent. OF the normal profit, addition
al. 1t was stated that the normal
profit in former years had been 50
per ton, and that the local fuel ad.
ministration had fixed the retail price
at cost plus $3.50 (normal profits plus
so per cent. additionaD.
II this rule had been adhered to in
Sumter the retail price would be as
follows; Cost at mine. 1925. plus
freight. s2.40. plus war tax, &c, plus
O.