New-York tribune., 1918-07-15
State Administrators and
District Representatives
Constantly at Odds
Hard Times Ahead
For Small Consumer
Federal Scheme Has Failed
to Meet Difficulties of
Coal Distribution
By Theodore M. Knappen

WASHINGTON, July 14.-The fuel
administration was born of a fight; it
,ss heen in fight ever since and it has
laid ont its scheme of coal distribution
&C continuous combat. The central
;doa of this battle for coal is to put
+he state fuel administrators on one
side of the ring and the district repre-
ssntatiyes on the other side. Then the
former are "sicked" onto the latter.
The administrators represent the
consumers; the district presentatives
were nominated by and stand for the
nroducers. Both are part of the ma
t;onal organization. About all the a1-
ministrators know about coal is that
IL is burned. About all the district
representatives know about coal is that
Il is mined. The state administrators
consider that all tho trouble about coal
is what the consumers have. The dis
trict representatives know that all the
Grief OF the coal business is monopo-
zed by the producers. The consumer is
officially put up against the miner. And
both are made part of the fuel admin
ration Each state is allotted so much
coal But the purchasing of that coal is
done in the old individual way. Whole
sale buyers and retail dealers have to
get out and skirnish for their coal
and make their own deals, just as they
always did The fuel administration is
not buying and selling or even actually
apportioning the coal among con-
sumers. But everybody makes weekly
report of what he has bought, what he
has disposed of or what he has on
hand.
The individual buyer and the retailer
fight to get more coal than last year.
The fuel administration is supposed to
stand by and see that, while the shindy
goes merrily on, nobody is killed or
seriously wounded 1t might be said
the fuel administration undertakes to
deliver so much coal to state through
regular trade channels and then it is
free-for-all to see who gets the coal.
1t is somethnng like a farmer pouring
out the evening feed for the whole
band Of hogs and then standing by with
club to keep tie big and "slick" hogs
from getting too much. The system is
cross between the natural system of
distribution and a purely artificial
one.
The "Buck" Passed
II you can't get up to the trough
thqt l. - E,,I l.
soh will sell you coal-you take your
ale Of woe 70 the State Fuel Admins
traitor. The latter takes your case up
with the district representatives in the
producing regions. 1t is their busi-
ness then to lasso some operator and
make him sell you coal. If he fails in
that you take an appeal to Washing
ton, and If your case is desperate the
dlstrct representative may be ordered
70 commandeer some coal consigned to
somebody else and send it to you.
Unless you are on the preferred list,
settng coal is going to be case Of
ight all the time, with everybody
passing the buck"
even II you get it you will have to
lght to keep it, and if you get too
mucb 1t will be taken away from you.
ne process is calculated to be stimu-
'".iHS 10 conservation.
IL you are manufacturer Of non
war goods you are at the far end of
Vhe trough. Ahead of you in order of
preference are the (D railroads, (2)
sne army and navy and other govern
meht needs, CD state and county de-
psltments psi,1i and institutions. (4 public
, o.lI''ies, and (5) war industries. Any
.vai .I 'ha' you can grab away from
s"ese preferred ones is yours until
ss seeu arises tor them to take it awav
an.ti, IRON you. If the grabbing is good for
asa, "mae and you manage to store up
rnvesn navasll coal Tor months ahead, it will
;;setesr'heiess, ;s .s be taken away from YOU
ra the emergency arises.
II everybody were to consume iuct
,he same amount of coal This yosT ne
.dst and there were no new consn,nors
ms system tight-it-out would he verv
s"iple' but there are so manv new
v"'u'hefs wa. on big scale and so MANY
G;s,. %a, uemands of special nature that
nns.'s..t;.souung coal is bound to be one
oJI.''efous soI thing after another. The
stoa oa Oh large coal reserves. or of
in '.Sse a.. places for them if they were
Sros IsN'slence, adds to the difficulties.
eorn,; n coal reserves could be used to
dsIa dIIaiIe distribution as against the
dslyy.un inequalities of production and
tbrov'a put without them we are
on O|n .,' PACK to dependence very largely
mnes s"' daily flow Of coal from the
demo WIN all sorts of emergency
not "us = n'' naving the right of way, it is
Of es,t;on ,tf;uesAon OF avoiding trouble. but
ee'''hg as little of it as possible.
>, Garfield Has Plans
ne whole co,y
fusiono o0at OF chaos with a limit: con-
den;es W. %l'n a regulator. DR.. Garfield
advanco" nc IS school teacher. He can
proof ,, Ihe distribution scheme in
bu, ;f :. maybe 1t will work at that
witbn.it IT does the nihilists will not hs
makes an argument. Perhaps II
in loS;.u up IN psychology what it lacks
mand o. manufacturing industries do
last oo'oO0,oo0 tons more of coaI +ban
on 5ond The public utilities insist
roaas o'VVo'oO0 tons more. The r9'I' ra;1
Forei,nn n'ust have 100000 tons more
less X punkers can't get along With
renlootah ,tah 100000 tons more Tba
veom;h'ent OF oil by coal in the West
ton 100000 tons. Nine m;ll;nn
the ,Il VI pltuminous is needed to tsLn
domapn.sace OF anthracite diverted from
Of tsc toss use to industries. Millions
in Franoi oi coal must go to our armies
indus.nnee, Every day some new war
a discaS ooos up with demands for
Maoouncerting amount of coal
the ""nlie n,'e the draft goes on taking
are LINERS. LINERS. Nevertheless those who
veal seit came through in the four
ions ended June 28 with the marvel.
bitnn, record of 49,49400O tons of
kss luminous coal. If they could onlv