Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-01-05
CITY WILL SUPPLY COAL
TO THOSE ACTUALLY OUT
Hobson Says in These Times Dis
tribution Will Not BE Limited
to the INDECENT.
SERIOUS SHORTAGE IS FEARED
No Anthracite on Hand, and Only by
Utmost Economy Can Supply of
Soft Coal Be Made to Go Around
to All in Need.

Soft Coal Be Made to Go Around
to All in Need.
In regard to statement publish cd
In an afternoon paper yesterday that
| an employee of that paper had been
without coal for two days, and that
after visiting nine dealers he had been
unable TO obtai.. any. Grahar s. Hob
son. of the Administrative Board, said
yesterday that if his address were FUR
nished him or any member OF the
board coal would be Immediately sent
him in city carts to supply emcl gcncy
needs
We have been hauling coal all win
ter for relief of the poor" said Mr..
iiobson. In Thu emergency we do
not consider that this relief should be
limited to the INDECENT. III any per-
son In Richmond is actually suffering
for want Of fuel we will supply his
need. whether he can pay for it or not.
In Il case like this, it is not so much a
matter of charity as of preventing
suffering. and while the city has no
great amount of fuel on hand. it has
enough for present needs. and we do
not pro- ,sc to sit by and see any ono
suffer Any man who canot buy Goa.
at the local dealers, and who is actually
out may notify me or any member OF
the board and we will sec that lie gets
enough to make fire with until lie
can buy some"
WILL NOT SEE ANY
LOCAL FAMILY cuFF'cR.
Mr.. 1Iobson said that the city had
been very successful this winter in its
distribution OF fuel 10 the poor. prais-
Ing particularly the cooperation of the
nurses of the Health department who
visit INDECENT families and certify as to
their needs for fuel and other relief.
lie reiterated. however, that the city
ala not propose to let anyone suffer
and that until the present emergency
is tidcd over and the dealers are in Il
position 10 make deliveries. the city
would attempt To carry any local fam
lily. whether INDECENT not.
In man% homes there were COM
plants yesterday of frozen gas meters
cutting oil the supply. l.. Il. Rogers.
Of l4l: North Twenty-first street.
practical plumber. said that this could
he promptly relieved by pouring Il
small amount OF boiling water over
the meter. aud especially on the bcnts
of the lead pipe leading into and on,
Of the meter, as that is where the
freezing usually occurs. moisture from
the gas forming in these hents of pipe
and preventing a steady flow of gas.
Another suggestion from a practical
plumber was that the use OF a small
amount of unslacl<cd lime in sinks and
water outlets would melt all ice and
open up the drains, care to be taken
that no wooden work is exposed
CONDITIONS CALL FOR
UTMOST CONSERVATION
While not desiring to alarm the peo-
pie of the city with reference to tho
coal situation. the local fuc! commits
sion and tho State administrator con-
slider ii their duty to inform the peo-
pie of Richmond and the State OF Vir-
sinia that the coal conditions in all
sections of the State have reached a
point Were. unless care is taken and
the coal used economically, the people
would be confronted with the creates,
coal famine in tho history Of the state.
Although Virginia has Jared unusually
we'll III comparison with other states
in the country. tho conditions in this
State now are of an alarming nature
and call FOR conservation of coal and
for cconoi ical use.
There is no anthracite coal in Rich
mond. end those people who have fur
naccs that will burn no other coal but
anthracite must replace the CRATES. so
as To be able TO use soft coal. although ,
there is not q great amount OF that
coal on hand. The fuel commission
has been laboring day and night try
ing 10 meet the needs of the people
so far as was possible. and have sup
Piled coal to those people who are in
the greatest need of ii. An effort has
been made 10 relieve suffering by sup
plying the homes with sick ones with
coal first.
The fue! MISSIONS Office is busted
with answering hundreds OF phone
calls from people who complain that
they are without coal. Where the Sit
uation can he remedied al once ii is
done. but In many cases the people de-
mand certain kinds of coal which can
no, he supplied because there is none
III tho city.
LOCAL DEALERS ARE
DOING THEIR UTMOST
SO fsr as is known. the coal dealers
are doing their utmost in cooperating
with the fuc, commission and doing
their part to alleviate suffering where
suffering il greatest Many phone calls
come into tho Office OF A. Bcirne Rlair
chairman OF the local fuel commission.
stating that u certain dealer would not
send amy anthracite coal but the per-
son at the other end Of tho line did not
inquire il there was ny anthrac,t,
coal IN the city. y woman informed
the fuel chairman that a certain retail
dealer secured a carload Of coal Thur.-
day. and that when She uhcncd Friday
she was informed that no coal could
be gotten. she was Of the -oniuioa that
she waS d.ecrin'uatcd against. Never
the1ess, she was informed that a car
Of coal is onl" forty-hyc TO nfty-nv.
tons. and that il j. a very small amount
III SUCH times when there is a near
coal famine.
Long before coal arrives there are
orders in tie offices Of the coal dealers
Fx., .1rt
that the pcoa!e Of tae city lie patient
and stop 10 consider conditions. While
the situation IS not IS the people
would like To sec il. nevertheless they
mus; make the most OF il and use ;he
coal the% have conScrYatively, or con-
centrain the heating capacity O! the
nome INTO one room. All Unnecessary
heating should be eliminated ut once.
or conditions may compel the pcoDle
To be without hca. altogether.
state Buys Ronds.
nd;