The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1918-04-27
Consumers Can Help Prevent
Shortage Next Winter by
Buying Now, Says Fuel
Administrator.
GARFIELD SOUNDS WARNING.
Better Borrow Money Now to Buy
Than Do Without Later, He Says---lf
Your Storage Space Isn't Large
Enough, Enlarge 1t.
BY HARRY A. GARFIELD,
United States Fuel AdmInietratol


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-
wsed and urged to place without de-
lay aheir orders for coal to cover their
needs Tor the l. months beginning
April /.
During the past 70 months there has
seen suffering among consumers and
curahnent Of essential production by
industries through inability to obtain
necessary fuel after the beginning of
winter. A year ago consumers were
led TO believe that they might safely
Withhold their orders until later in the
sehr They Aboied under the impres
stoa ihsu GOA could be bought and Sc
cured us well AT one time as another,
They were tolG thai there WAS plenty
Of ccal FOR everybody aud that there
would he plenty Of coal cars to move
jhe coal in also.
This advice and its acceptance by
consumers was one Of the contributing
causes to the coal shortage, with It's
consequent suffering among domestic
consumers and lcssening in production
OF commodities needed IN our war ac-
tiylties.
The Fuel Administration was not
hen in existence and did not begin its
WORK until August % It was chen al.
ready too late to undo the harm which
had been done. The Fuel Administra-
lion would be negligent Of it's duty to
the public if ii failed 10 call attention
at this time to the unfortunate results
Of the mistaken course pursued by the
public 4 year ago and to warn all CON
simers in the most emphatic manner
possible that a repetition of those re-
suits can be avoided only 10y accepting
and acting Immediately upon the Fuel
Administration advice, here given:
Order Your Coal at Once.
Let every consumer of the classes
mentioned ascertain his fuel require-
menls for the coming year. DO This at
once. order sufficient coal to meet those
requirements. Place your orders al
once. If domestic consumers have moi
sufficient storage spnce for the coal
they will need they should enlarge their
bins. Ii public utilities and industries
engaged upon government work haYe
not sufficient storage space they should
a once provide it.
The production Of coal in this coun
try is fundamentally a transportation
problem. There are enough coal cars
aud enough locomotives to transport
the necessary quantity of coal, only if
every ear and every locomotive is used
to its maximum capacity every day IN
the year. There are enough operatives
in the mines to get the coal from the
ground if those operatives can work
every day in the year and If The coal
cars and locomotives are available ev-
cry 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 rs possible and In as steady and
continuous a stream as circumstances
viii permit. The railroads may be
compared to water pipe which needs
to run full all the time to carry the
necessary amount of water to its des-
tinatlon. If that water is shut off for
any appreciable time it means an ulti
mate shortage. The pipe can carry nc
more than its maximum capacity per
day.
Borrow, il You Must.
Inconvenience of paying for coal in
the spring or summer when it will not
be needed until autumn or winter |
should not influence any consumer 10
delay placing his order and securing
his supply. II is far wiser to borrow
money in the spring to pay for ones
coal than to wait until autumn OF
winter, when if the coal has moi been
mined and shipped money cannot pro.
cure it.
The Fuel Administration, through
the State Fuel Administrators and 10.
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 3
sufficient supply Of fuel. All these
governmental agencies, however, are
powerless If the consumers themselves
fail 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.
sumer has relied in the past II this
course is followed it may be hopec
that the suffering and loss Of The pas
winter Will not be repeated II It Ii
not done consumers will have them