Omaha daily bee., 1919-11-21
COAL SITUATION.
SERIOUS HERE AS.
SUPPLYDW|NDLES|
Schools, Churches and Thea
tiers Get No More Fuel
Written Applications
Required.

Sodi dediCiS CldiuoIilS loI coal 10
satisfy the demands of the public.
filled the Office Of the terminal coal
committee in the Union Pacific
headquarters building yesterday
morning. The order issued by w.
M. letters, chairman of the commit
tee, stopping the release of coal to
nonessential industries, schools,
churches and theaters, will go into
effect this morning, Mr.. letters said
yesterday.
Reports that a trainload of coal
was to be shipped to Omaha from
Duluth, Mimi, failed to bring
optimisism among members of the
coal committee. A trainload of coal
would be a mere drop in the
bucket" in Omaha, members say.
While the city is not entirely
without coal, there is no sign of
relief in the near future" said Mr..
letters, land the order was i'm
perative Some schools may have
sufficient coal to remain open for
short time. and the order will be
retracted at the moment we have
assurances that it is safe"
Situation Very Acute.
That the situation has become
very acute in the city is indicated by
the fact that many steam plants,
heating large buildings, are burning
domestic coal. This, in itself.
necessitates drastic action, accord
ing to members of the coal COM
mittee.
E. Buckingham, general manager
OF the Union Stock Yards Co.. said
yesterday that he was experiencing
some difficulty in securing coal TO
rur switch engines in the yards. If
switching should be stopped the en-
tire packing industry on the South
Side would be at standstill, it is
pointed out.
Trains on the Rock Island and
Santa Fe lines are burning nothing
but coal which has been stored for
many months, and as result trains
on these lines are running behind
schedules, for firemen must shovel
double the amount of stored coal to
secure the same heat as is secured
by fresh coal.
Curtailed to Minimum.
In explanation to the order issued
yesterday cutting off coal from
schools and churches Chairman JET !
fers said:
The rapid depletion of the coal
supply makes it absolutely necessary
for distribution of coal to the retail
dealers, as we'll as industries, to be
curtaiied to the minimum to avoid
entirely running out of coal and
thereby producing actual suffering
in the homes, hospitals, hotels, Of
flee buildings and other public in
situations.
Public utilities must also be pro-
vided with coal. 1t has become nee
essary to stop the delivery of coal
to schools, churches, places of |
amusement and non-essential indus
tries.
Statement to Dealers.
To properly supervise the dis
tribution of coal the following in
structions were issued by Chairman
letters to all coal dealers in Greater
Omaha and Council Bluffs:
Effective 7 a. m, November q,
bituminous and Ignite coal may be !
delivered by dealers in Greater
Omaha and Council Bluffs only T
upon written application in each in
stance by the purchaser to dealer |
and approved by this office. |
Forms of application may be had I
upon request at this Office. These
applications are of two kinds, viz:
Application for Commercial Coal
and Application for Domestic Coal
These applications are to be
made out in detail in duplicate, and !
original and duplicate must be filed
together. If approved, the original
will be retained and the duplicate
with written approval thereon will
be returned to dealer as authority
for specific delivery.
Signed w. M. JEFFERS
Chairman, Sub-coal Committee
Situation In Schools.
w l. Bourke, secretary OF the
board of education, stated that
there is an average supply of coal
to last two weeks in the public
schools.
II am now sending a request to
all ianitors to report coal on hand
Friday of this week." said Mr..
Bourke. Some schools may have
more than two weeks supply and
some may have less, but would
say that the average would be two
weeks"