Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-10-10
FUEL PROBLEMS
ARE explained
Rock Island County Administrator
Tells Why Coal Nus BE
Saved.
AN INCREASE OF SO,OOO.OOO Tons
Need This Year Greatly Exceeds
That OF 1917 War Boards
AID Democracy.

Problems before the national fuel
administration and the program ar
ranged by which these problems
are to be met are explained by II.
\. ClPvcnst,rc. Rock island cOUn-
ty fuel administrator.
: N,1.u leI.renCe 70 the fuel situa-
ton throughout the country and tl'e
great problems that are being met,
Mr. Cvevenstine gives out the fol
lowing:
The war program of the nation
demands S00O0000 more tons OF
coal this year than last.
I'VE are calling for 5000 600 tons
of steel ships, and to manufacture
and deliver the steel for them viii
take ia 100000 tons Of coal. Three
million tons are needed to carry
our average monthly delivery Of
troops to Europe, and 100000 tons
to transport their supplies. One
hour Of intensive artillery action at
the front uses up 1880 tons of steel,
which it takes 1900 tons of coal 20
produce To manufacture and
transport the 100000 600 shells that
were fred by the French in the bat
tie of Verdun called for the con-
sumption of nearly 100000 tons Of
coal.
The demands for coal this year
have increased IN American indus
trial plants IS per cent, in gas and
electric utilities Is per cent, in
shipping 80 per cent, in the rail
roads per cent, and in domestic
consumption Is per cent.
1T has been impossible to pro
vide for these increases by increas-
ed production. There have been
224 new mines opened and weekly
production has risen as high as II
per cent increase over the CORE
spending week of 1917, but there
has not been the necessary mine la
Dor available to meet the whole de-
mand and there have not been coal
cars enough to keep the coal NOV
ing from the mines.
InSpects Plants. q.
"In an attempt to meet the de-
felt, the fuel administration has
carried out a thorough campaign
of saving. 1t has undertaken to
inspect the country's 100000 steam
producing plants, and hopes to save
thereby 2O,000,000 tons of coal a
year AS a result Of this inspec-
ton, in Connecticut alone so plants
are saving $4,000 tons annually.
One plant in Syracuse is making
saving that will amount TO 10 600
tons a year. In the city of Chicago
three plants are saving $4,000 tons
by substituting electricity and wa
ter mower for steam.
BY the introduction of skip-stop
schedules on all street railways ii
is expected that another 1900 $50
tons NAV be saved Further say
ings have been made by consolidat-
ing ice plants, small power plants,
etc. by reducing outdoor lighting
and advertising signs, and by OBJ
taining greater economy in hotels.
offices, apartment houses and pub
lie buildings 1t is estimated that
l 900 900 tons will be saved by 4
campaign to substitute tungsten
electric lamps for the less econom-
ical carbon fiIament lamps. And
by a process of distiIlatiOn at a low
temperature it has been found pos
sibIe to extract valuable oils and
by-products from coal and to make
from the residue an excellent
smokeIess coal in briquets, with a
great saving of coal.
Limit Use.
Fuel has been conserved for es-
sential war industries by limiting
the amount used in brewing, in
greenhouses in the manufa CtUre of
wall paper, pianos, automobiles.
building materials, etc. Exports to
Canada have been reduced by agree
ment with the Canadian fuel con-
troller By a zone system Of dis
tributiOn, the railroad haul has
been made as short as possible and
the congestion IF traffic prevented.
BY providing for the ordering of
the winter supply of household coal
in the summer months, mines have
been kept busy that would OrGina--
lily slacken down in summer for
- IL