, 1918-05-09
Consumers Can Help Prevent
Shortage flext Winter by
Buying Now, Says Fuel
Administrator.
GARFIELD SOUNDS WARNING,
Better Borrow Money Now to Buy
Than Do Without Later, He says-lf
Your Storage Space Isn't Large
Enough, Enlarge 1t
BY HARRY A. GARFIELD,
United States Fuel Administrator

United States Fuel Administrator.
Every householder, every public util-
ity and every Industrial user of coal
engaged in work essential to the prose-
cution of the war are earnestly ad-
vised and urged to place without de-
lay their orders for coal to cover their
needs for the II months beginning
April l.
During the past II months there has
been suffering among consumers and a
curtailment of essential production by
industries through inability to obtain
necessary fuel after the beginning of
winter. A year ago were
led to believe that they might safely
withhold their orders until later in the
year. They labored under the impress
sion that coal could be bought and Sc
cured as well at N time as another.
They were told hat there was plenty
of coal for everybody and that there
would be plenty of coal cars to move
the coal in also.
consumers was one of the contributing
causes to the coal shortage, with It's
consequent suffering among domestic
consumers and ~lessening In production
of commodities needed In our war ac-
t~ivities.
The Fuel Administration was not
then in existence and did not begin Its
work until August %. 1t was then al
ready too late to undo the harm which
had been done. The Fuel Adminlstra-
ton would be negligent of its duty to
the public If II failed to call attention
at this time to the unfortunate results
of the mistaken course pursued by the
public a year ago and to warn all con-
sumers in the most emphatic manner
possible that a repetition of those re-
suits can be avoided only by accepting
and acting Immediately upon the Fuel
Administrations advice, here given
Order Your Coal at Once.
Let every consumer of the classes
mentioned ascertain his fuel require
ments for the coming year. Do this
at once. Order sufficient coal to meet
those requirements. Place your orders
at once. If domestic sur have
not sufficient storage space for the
coal they will need they should en-
large their bins. If public utilities and
industries engaged upon government
work have not sufficient storage space
they should at nee provide 1t.
The production of coal in this coun.
try is fundamentally a transportation
problem. There are enough coal cars
and enough locomotives to transport
he necessary quantity of coal, only If
every car and every locomotive is
used to its MAXIMUM capacity every
day in the year. There are enough
operatives in the mines to get the coal
from the ground II those operatives
can work every day in the year and If
the coal cars and locomotives are
available every day.
The fuel problem is to get the coal
from the first place of deposit to the
final place Of deposit with as little de-.
lay as possible and in as steady and
NOIllllluolb q tuln ub circumstances
will permit. The railroads may be
compared to a water pipe, which needs
to run full all the time to carry the
necessary amount OF water to its des-
tination. If that water is shut off for
any appreciable time 1t means an ulti-
mate shortage. The pipe can carry no
more thar It's maximum capacity per
day.
Borrow, II You Must.
Inconvenience of paying for coal In
the spring or summer when It will not
be needed until autumn or winter
should not influence any consume to
delay placing his order and securing
his supply. 1t is far wiser to borrow
money in the spring to pay for ones
coal than to wait until autumn or
winter, when If the coal has not been
mined and shipped money cannot pro
cure 1t.
The Fuel Administration, through
the State Fuel Administrators and To-
cal committees, is prepared in every
reasonable way to aid public utilities,
essential industries, retail dealers and
domestic u in placing their
orders and in securing assurance Of a
sufficient supply of fuel. All these
governmental agencies, however, are
powerless If the themselves
fail to act. Again, therefore, the Fuel
Administration urges every consumer
to place his orders Immediately. This
should ordinarily be done through the
medium of supply upon which the con-
sumner has relied in the past. II this
course is followed it may be hoped
that the suffering and loss Of the past
winter will moi be repeated. If 1t is
not done will have them
selves to blame.