The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-10-18
IMPORT TONNAGE
OF COAL GREATER
LAST FEW WEEKS,
LABOR Is SHORT
Captain Baker Issues State
ment to Householders
on Fuel Supply .

Bismarck, N D., Oct. 17.-The tom
| mage of anthracite which so far this
fall has moved into North Dakota
from Great Lakes ports is consider
ably smaller than has been customary.
at this period in other years, advises.
Capt. !. p. Baker, state fuel admins
| traitor, The labor supply at the docks.
has been only SO per cent of normal,
| and in spite of fair car distribution,
| it has been impossible to handle the
coal. This situation is rapidly be-
ing improved, however, and within
the last few weeks the weekly ton
mage brought into the state has been
increased from 1000 tons to 5000 and
still further advances are in pros
pect.
Consumers of anthracite under the
! federal fuel administration ruling for
| North Dakota are permitted to store
not more than two-thirds Of the
amount Of fuel which they consumed
during the last year. Users of other
grades Of coal may store enough to
meet their requirements UP to March
81, 1913. Anthracite coal will be
| distributed on a prorata basis. No
| consumer will be permitted to fill his
bins to two thirds capacity while
others in his community go without
| coal. The administration recon-
mends that dealers use care In Rp-
| portiontng the available supply of
anthracite in order that every con-
sumner may have a share. Capt.
Baker also renews his urge that ev-
eryone who possibly can substitute
| Ignite for anthracite.
Fail To Get Coal.
Even forehanded people who OBJ
served the injunction of the federal
. f1IpI and T11aapI
ders last spring for next winters coal
supply are facing the prospect Of a
possible cold snap without full bins
and cellars. Complaints to this eff
feet have reached Capt. Baker anG
today he made the following state
ment in explanation:
"Not all of the coal ordered last
spring has been delivered. 1t was not
to be expected that it could be. The
object Of our campaign to bring about
an early placing Of orders was to en-
able retail dealers to place these or
derS with the producers, and thus
keep the mines operating and the coal
moving during the summer season.
The campaign has had the desired eff
feet. North Dakota. Ignite mines dur
ing the past summer produced from
SO to 100 per cent more coal than in
past summers, and this coal was dis
tributed as rapidly as 1T could be
mined. Consequently we approach
the winter with much more coal on
hand than otherwise would have
been available.
Just now the mines are being
flooded with orders from dealers and
consumers who were slow in placing
their acquisitions. These orders must
wait their turn. There has been some
divergence from bitumtnous and an
thracite to Ignite; the Ignite mines
have worked t-handed. Rightly,
much of the mine labor has been used
in threShing and harvesting. This Ia
Dor is now again available for Ignite
production, and the mines will soon
greatly increase their capacity. II,
in spite of this speeding up process.
the man who failed to order his coal
early and to prepare to get It in is
unable now to be accommodated the
moment he finds himself in need or
coal, he must not blame the fuel adj
ministration.
/ Flat DwelIers Curhed.
! Householders who have become
fat jewellers to escape the menace OF
heatless days and lightless nights will
find that they are not beyond reach
Of the long arm of the federal fuel
administration. Capt. Baker admins
traitor for North Dakota, is planning
to undertake, in the near future, the
regulation of steam heat consumption
in flats and apartments. It is prob
able that the administration will rule
that room temperatures in cold
weather be regulated by turning off
the heat instead of opening windows,
and that the heat be turned off en-
tirely, wherever practicable, during
the sleeping hours. The administra-
ton also will regulate the conSump-
ton of fuel in stores.
Uniform Lighting.
Local chairmen in every county in
North Dakota have worked out uni
form Illuminating regulations for
street and public lighting which are
giving general satisfaction and are
resulting in large aggregate saving
of fuel, advices Capt. Baker. Useless
and extrayagant street lighting has
been abolished, while at the same time
a degree of illumination imperative to
insure safety has been obtained.
The campaign against waste prob
ably will be carried further during the
present fuel year, when the saving of
coal will, to a large extent, mean the
winning of the war. Stores will be
closed at o'clock each evening" ex-
cept Saturday, throughout the winter
months, and display windows will be
Fsparingly lighted, if at all. No street
illumination is permitted at any time
between sunCise and sunset. Mon
day will be "lightless' night for
North Dakota as regards electric
signs and advertisements displayed by