Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-02-18
COAL SITUATION
HERE DISCUSSED
At a Public Meeting Held in
Council Chamber on Satur-
day Night.

The local coal situation was discussed
| at a public meeting held in the Council
| chamber, Municipal Building, on Sat
| urday night, which was attended by sew
eral members of Council, Representatives
| Connolly and McNabb and eight other
| citizens, ut the conclusion of which reso-
| lutions were adopted calling upon the
| local coal administrators to answer a
number of questions, including the follow
ing: i,
WHY arc not all coal orders required
TO pass through the administrators
| office Why were the administrators
appointed ? Why did they not grant
the request of City Council for a confer
ence Have any dealers been favored =?
Whether il is true that as high rs SIG
has been paid for a ton of coal Whether
dealers were allowed TO sell by measure
instead Of weight ? Why dealers were
not allowed TO sell in carload lots
Whether some small dealers were per-
mitted To be without coal for 80 days
Whether soft coal was sold at the same
rate as hard coal ? Whether any advan-
tage in tonnage has accrued to the city
The resolutions, which were drawn by
n committee consisting of touncilmcn
Ahherger and Johnson and Representa-
tive Connolly, were unanimously adopted,
after which copies were ordered sent to
the Federal and State boards and the
governor
In opening the meeting Councilman
Ahbcrper said the local fuel admins
| traitors had been invited to confer with
Council last Thursday night, but they
sent word that they could not he present,
but that State Fuel Administrator Ten
Wecges had written him that he would
| be glad TO confer with him in regard to
| any complaints. Following IS the text
of the letter:
! MIR William Ahbcrgrr,
! "407 Montgomery street, City
| Dear Slr:-The edition Of the Evening
| journal of Friday, February i5, quotes
! YOU at meeting OF Council
F., on February IA as follows Mr.. Ab-
! berger said he knew of residents of the
! Third ward who have money to pay for
| coal but who cannot get any, and MIR.
! Ten Weeges had paid no attention to
| their apIs.als If the above paper has
| quoted YOU correctly, | would indeed
appreciate it as great favor If YOU Will
| kindly furnish me with the names and
| addresses OF the various residents OF the
| Third ward whom you had IN mind and
! 10 further say / would hc very glad 10
| discuss not only this list, but any other
| questiors YOU may desire at any time,
/ that might suit your convenience.
| Representative Connolly said no
| thought the administrators should have
| conferred with Council and the two
| bodies could have co-operatcd for the
| benefit Of the public. As had been done
| in some other cities He said people had
| called at his house and begged for coal
| and he exerted every effort to try to get
| it for them He declared that some per
sons had been compelled 10 buy IN small
| lots at the rate Of SIC ton.
Councilman Johnson said some dealers
/, appeared TO be getting more coal than
/ others
George " Badcr said he had reported
! To the newspapers where persons sell
! ing coal BY the bag had been violating
! the orders. where preferences were being
/ shown and where he had been unable
| to secure cooperation IN his effort 10 help
relieve the distress in his neighhorhood,
I and, while he thought the administrators
would look into these reports, they were
not productive of results.
Mr. McNabb thought the admins
| traitors should have been at the Coun-
! ell meeting on Thursday night.
/ The local coal administrators made no
| comment, today, when spoken 10 IN
| regard TO Saturday nights meeting.
| Asked about the coal situation, they
| said it is much easier than it was sew
era weeks ago and shipments are COM
iIg In very well.