The Dermott news., 1918-05-02
Consumers Can Help Prevent Shortage Next Winter by Buying Now, Says Fuel
 Administrator.
GARFIELD SOUNDS WARNING.
Than Do Without Later. He Says-lf Your Storage Space Isn't Large
 Enough, Enlarge 1t.
By HARRY A. GARFIELD, United States Fuel Administrator.

By HARRY A. GARFIELD,
 United States Fuel Administrator.
 Every householder, every public util- ity and every industrial user of coal engaged in work essential To the prose- cution of the war are earnestly ad- vised and urged to place without de- lay their orders for coal to cover their needs for the r. months beginning April 1.
 During the past 12 months there has been suffering among consumers and Il curtailment of essential production by industries through inability To obtain necessary fuel after the beginning of winter. year ago consumers were led to believe that they might safely withhold their orders until later In the year They labored under tho impress, sion that coal could be bought and Se- cured as well at one time as another. They were told that there was plenty of coal for everybody and that there would be plenty of eoal cars to move the coal in also.
 This advice and it's acceptance by consumers was one of the contributing causes to the coal shortage. with it's consequent suffering among domestic consumers and le.sening in production of commodities needed i'll our war ne tivities
 The Fuel Administration WAS not then in existence and did not begin it's work until August 23 II was then al ready too late 10 undo the harm which had been done. The Fuel Administra tion would he negligent of its duly 10 the public If il failed to call attention at this time to the unfortunate results "f the mistaken course pursued hy the public year ago and to warn all con SuIners in the most emphatic manner possible that repetition of those re- suits can be avoided only by accepting and acting immediately upon the Fuel Administration advice, here given:
 Odi SOdi onCc.
 Let every consumer of the classes mentioned ascertain his fuel require ments for the coming year Do this at once. Order sufficient coal to meel those requirements. Place your orders at once. If domestic consumers have not sufficient storage space for the coal they will need they should an. ia hAip { industries engaged upon government work have not sufficient storage space they should at once provide it.
 The production of coal in this conn try is fundamentally q transportation | problem. There are enough coal cars and enough locomotives to transpaf the necessary quantity ot coal, only il f every car and every locomotive k | used to its maximum capacity every day in the year There are enough I operatives in the mines to get the coal ! from the ground if those operatives i can work every day in the year and if l the coal ears and locomotives are available every day.
 The fuel problem is to get the coal from the first place of deposit to the final place of deposit with as little de lay as possible and in as steady and | continuous a stream as circumstances will permit The railroads may be compared to a water pipe, which needs E to run full all the time to carry the necessary amount of water to it's des tination If that water is Shut off for any appreciabe time il means an uti-#E mate shortage. The pipe can carry no F more than its maximum capacity per day.
 Borrow if You Must
 Inconvenience of paying for coal in the spring or summer when il will not be needed until autumn or winter should not influence any consumer 10 delay placing his order and securing his supply. It is far wiser to borrow money In the spring to pay for ones coal than to wait until autumn or winter, when if the coal has not been mined and shipped money cannot pro cure it.
 The Fuel Administration, through the State Fuel Administrators and To- cal committees, is prepared in every reasonable way to aid public utilities essential industries. retail dealers and domestic consumers in placing their orders and in securing assurance of sufficient supply of fuel, All these governmental agencies. however are powerless if the consumers themselves fall to act. Again. therefore, the Fuel Administration urges every consumer to place his orders immediately This should ordinarily be done through the medium of supply upon which the con sulncr has relied in the past. If this course is followed it may he hoped that the suffering and loss of the pas winter will not be repeated If it k