Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-03-21
LEWIS GIVES WARNING
TOCOAL PROFITEERS
Short-Weight Dealers Liable to
$4,000 Fine and Two
Years Imprisonment

Francis A. Lewis, coal administrator
for Philadelphia, today declared that
short-wcight coal sales in this city must
stop forthwith.
a number of cases have come to the
attention of the administration. he said
of dealers making practice of selling
short weight in this city NiolatorS Of
the law caught IN the future will be Sc
yerely dealt with, and will not escape
with a small fine. Mr., Lewis announced
Under the Lever bill creating the fuel
administration, persons guilty of unfair
practices are liable to a fine of $4,000
two years imprisonment or both.
Mr.. Lewis urged all coal dealers to
join the Philadelphia Coal Exchange as
n means of standardizing weights. This
association provides weighmaster. and
all weights must conform to the STANDARD
224O pounds to a ton.
Many dealers to day expressed dis
satisfaction at the order setting IA max
imum of twenty-five cents "A ton as q
charge for coal carried into the cellar.
As a contrast to this grasping attitude,
many dealers expressed satisfaction, and
some go so far as to suggest that all
carrying charges be forbidden. They
base this stand on the contention that
| tilt ltldli dHNilIhNltp utdltl Is ltTtluliSl
ated sufficiently in a gross profit Of
$3.50 a ton. Certain dealers have been
charging as much as fifty cents for each
ton carried in.
Beginning today, every order for coal
! In quantities more than one-quarter of
/ a ton must be taken in duplicate on
the official card issued by the fuel ad-
mnistration..
At the close of each days business
! the original cards must he mailed to the
Bureau of Distribution, 1918 Walnut
, street To each order must he affixed
/ stamps equaling two cents for every ton
or fraction of a ton. This cost is borne
/ by the dealer.
Dealers are permitted to distribute
/ the order cards in any way they see fit
and customers may mail them TO the
dealers Office, but no verbal or telephone
orders VIII be accepted. Every order
must be made out on the official form.
Railroad officials in this city see an
abundant supply of coal for next winter.
provided consumers place orders as early
as possible thereby relieving the strain
of hauling in great tonnage during ex-
treme cold weather
The cruX of the situation. It was
pointed out. is sufficient supply OF
cars. and from this quarter there is little
TO worry about. operating heads of both
the Pennsylvania and Philadelphia and
Reading systems point out.
There will, therefore, be no trouble
in getting coal. provided consumers dc
not wait until cold weather to place
their orders. Most of the difficulty this
winter, they said. was caused by waiting
until the cold weather set in.
The Reading has approximately $4,000
coal cars. The coal-carrying capacit,
Of the road is Increasing steadily. since
the new cars being purchased are said
to be of fifty tons capacity and are
being used TO replace wooden cars oil
scarcely half that size. The company.
motive power equipment also is being in
creased. Contracts with the Baldwin
Locomotive Works for forty-fve locomo
tives are being finished and deliver,
begins next month.
Virtually the same situation prevail.
on the Pennsylvania, according to sta
tistics showing ownership of 93.7S:
wood and steel coal cars, an increa 3,
of nearly $4,000 tons in CARRYING GA,
pacity over year ago.