Evening star., 1918-01-10
D. c. COAL SUPPLY
. SHORTER THAN EVER
Very Difficult to Find Out
What Relief Is in
Sight.

Supplies of coal in Washington today
are shorter than they have been at any
time during the last year of shortage.
THIS applies to soft coal as well as hard,
The problem has shifted from one of
delivery to one where there is very little
coal to be delivered.
Cold Wave Would Be Serious.
Another spell Of severely cold weather
would bring shout 4 situation more
than critical. 1t would be desperate.
Hope that extreme suffering may be
averted lies in the continuance of mod
crate weather until coal stocks can be
replenished
Unless coal is gotten here speedily
and in larger quantities than receipts
have averaged lately, such economies
IN consumption as the capital never
knew will have to be enforced.
Churches and theaters and all indus
trial and commercial activity not abb
solutely essential may have to close
and supplies even to essential indus
tries may have to be curtailed.
Soft Coal Dangerously Low.
John L. Weaver, fuel administrator
for the District, has insisted that the
supply of soft coal was sufficient to
keep the city going. Today he admitted
that sort coal now is dangerously low.
Jesse L. Suter was appointed by the
federal fuel administration and charged
with responsibility for keeping Wash
ington supplied with coal. It was an
nounced as the policy of the admints-
trat1on to regard the National CAPITAL
as an essential war Industry. which
must be kept going; that it was recoe-
nized that the efficiency of the workers
here must be maintained, or the entire
machinery ach,,ie & OF war would break down.
Suter as to what relief was in sight
was futile. reporter for The Star
asked what coal was on its way to
Washington and what the prospects
were of its getting here in time to
save the city. He was referred to Mr
Sartwell, head of the fuel admfnistra-
tion's publicity department. as the
proper source of information. All Mr..
Sartwelfs Office was able to furnish
in Washington. The opinion was ex-
pressed that only the railroads knew
what coal was on the way here.
DSn 1Ano" " AoI 1se4leI Is In sight
The figures the publicity department.
was able to furnish on arrivals OF coal
showed that for the three days ended
at o'clock this morning seventy cars
of anthracite, containing 3,1s1 tons
and lis cars of bituminous, containing
5.S94 tons. had reached the city. The
fuel administration. so far as The Star
was able to learn. doesn't know when
more coal will arrive nor in, what
quantities.
The supplies in the city and of ar
rivals of hard coal have been mearer
all winter. but the sudden depletion of
the soft coal stock came as a shock
to Administrator Weaver There are
two explanations. One is that receipts
have not been kept up to requirements
in accordance with the announced mol
ley of the government that Washine-
ton must have coal. The other is fhs
the prolonged cold weather has forc,.d
consumption greatly in excess of ns.r-
NAL. Users Of soft coal, as a rule. ora
large consumers. They make a psace
tice OF carrying stocks ahead Of in
mediate needs. But the cold weather
rapidly than expected and then snd
themselves out of coal much isooner
than would have been the cas- 4 otba.
wise. Generally they have hontsaot,
with dealers and they have ce,lIed mn,,,
the dealers to replenish tha 4 bins In
complying with these demands .hn
dealers have cleaned out Weir yards. ~
Conferences With Dealers.
Administrator Weaver continued bic
conferences today with. Chairman r hs =
and other members of the deaI-
ers' executive committee Of five, an