New-York tribune., 1918-01-01

to 500 per ton, and County Fuel Ad-
minlstrator Schley said he felt the
proht margin was reasonable.
Hotels Are Thronged
That the actual needs of the city are
not being met, even approximately, was
indicated in black and white on the hotel
registers OF Manhattan and Brooklyn.
THOUSANDS Of the city's wealthy and
well-to-do citizens abandoned their cold
homes and took rooms in the big hotels
Several large apartment house build
,ngs, commanding high rentals, are
being empted Of their tenants, who are
fleeing to hotels to Get warmth
The coal shortage has been rendered
more serious on account of poor quail
ity. The fuel administration has prided
itself on supplying the hospitals and
the poor. but yesterday Bellevue re-
ported number Of wards cold because
the coal furnished of late appeared to
be mostly slate. Tho thermometer
dropped TO 40 degrees in several parts
# the hospital buildings. Bellevue au-
thoities met the emergency by shut
ting or the steam in the main build
ing, where the business Offices are To-
caled, End diverting every unit of heat
available to the sick rooms. Several of
the clerks were allowed to go home be-
cause they were unable to work in cold
oihces.
The State and City Fuel admins
traitors and the Fuel Conservation
Committee were in session practically
all day long, reviewing the situation
and devising means for economy and
planning regulations for distribution.
These officials, who have been Crap
ping with the coal problem for the
(io,yc <~
conclusion that the railroads are not
| bringing nearly enough coal to New
Jersey tidewater terminals to supply
New York City and the adjoining
country that draws its fuel from these
! points, while there appears to be no
machinery in existence at the present
time that can provision New York City
with 10000 tons q day from the Jersey
terminals. the amount needed daily.
City's Share Curtailed
Harry I. Peters, secretary Of the
Fuel Conservation Committee, read ar
alarming report. He stated that after
er Investigation covering the terminals
in New Jersey and the coal yards of
the greater city, he found that the city
had not been receiving more than
sa,o0o tons daily for some time past
and that the receipts yesterday did not
come up to that figure. The disaster
which bids fair to overhaul the city
unless the weather changes. he said
had been approaching for long
period.
New York City. Mr.. Peters said, i.
worse off in freight terminal facilities
than any city in The country. making
use Of 'the most primitive methods fol
getting coal within its gates" He re
called that in 1907 the Hudson wa:
frozen solid for three weeks.
IF the river should freeze now" Mr.
Peters said "God knows what may
happen. We used to have large, pow.
crfu tugs that could ram their way
through heavy ice. The government
has seized most Of them, so we woulc
have . most difficult time getting an,
coal barges up the river to The Bronx
THE lower ports arc already freez
ing. Two barges that set out from
Perth Amboy on Sunday were unable
to make a landing at Stapleton on ac
count of ice.
Fearing that the East River nigh
freeze, thus blocking the delivery o
coal to Brooklyn and Queens. now sup
piled by barges or railroad cars light
cred to different parts of Long Island
members of the Conservation Commit
tee counselled the fuel administrator,