Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-10-03
STILL BUNCLINc

rsci,y Of the National Fuel Administration
T'HE local branch of the fuel admins
l. tration is congratulating itself on its
success in putting into the cellars Of the
householders as per cent of the amount
of coal that will he needed this winter.
Heretofore the city has not had more
than 3S per cent of its winter supply OF
coal delivered on October /.
On its face this is an excellent show
ing. But the percentages covering the
whole city will not satisfy those house
holders who have had their orde~s in
since April and have been unable to get
the coal they need now. The fact that
many families have two thirds of their
coal does not relieve those families which
have none. On the contrary, il IS because
so many families here tVo-'hjrds Of thcr
,Cjn'oa supply that there are so mrry
Families toth no supp'V ot al.
The trouble can he traced back to
blundering in the plans for distribution.
M. Garfield ruled that not more than
two-thirds of the amount needed could be
delivered this summer. The local admin
stration called upon the householdcrS-
n ut few of them, but on every one
to get the two-thirds in their cellars while
they could, because there might come
time when they could not get coal. Under
this impetus thousands of families who
have not been in the habit Of ordering
IL -. II -, ln,s ra4
and the full two-thirds.
One would have thought that a CUP
of officials who knew that only 81 per
cent of the years supply was ever in the
cellars on October in past years would
have known that it would he impossible
to put 66 per cent Of the coal needed in
the cellars before that date this year.
But instead of thinking. the fuel admins
tratln apparently encouraged the coal
dealers to give to every one the full
amount allowed. They filed orders in
rotation at least it is supposed tha' t!cy
drG-a~d as result, the supply or hon@
yys exhausted before October :. ard tic
families way down IN the lis, or those
passed over in favor of others. have
10. nd themselves without coal
If it had been ruled that no family
was to receive more than one-thrd Of it's
needed coal before October I there would
have heen coal enough for cve"y one to
begin the winter with. Then the delivery
of the other third could have been made
facilities Of hn
dealers would permit
This laundering is merely a sample Of
the inefiiciency which has characterized
the fuel administration from the moment
that Mr.. Garfield was appointed. The
attempt was made last year to keep tho
n ice down when the cost of production
ara distribution was increasing almost
every week. The veriest tyro in business
economics knows that the first duty of the
fuel administration was to increase the
production. and that the surest way to in
crease production is to increase the price.
As result of the policy adopted we had
neither low prices nor coal.
This year the mine workers have been
allowed to leave the mines by the thou
sand ard enter the amy and the navy.
Yot, in spite of the decrease in the num-
Der of men employed, there has been an
increase in production. But the increase
has not been adequate to meet the in
creased demand for war industries and
70" the growing population.
This relative shortage. combined with
the unintclligent system of distribution,
is "espcnsble for much Of the trouble.
This newspaper has said time after
time that there is need for Schwab in
the fuel administration, That need was
nc"2r more imperative than today. But
Professor Ga field is allowed to bunglc
| along. end his subordirates follow his
| rulings with childish literaness unit, the
/ s!tuQtion becomes acute. when they are
| forced to abandon such erroneous de-
cisions as the two-thirds allowance, which
| ought. in all common sense. never to have
been made.
The task of production end delivery
Of coal is difficult at best, but it is not
beyon' The capacity Of American busi-
ness mon. There is no real justification
fer sat sfactior with the way the task
has beer accomplished, either here or in
Washington,