Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1919-06-26
COAL SHORTAGE
ON way; GOVT.
SAYS BUY NOW
May Be Repetition Of 1918
Conditions Next Winter Says
Geological Survey.
MINES IDLE WITHOUT ORDERS.
Those Who Delay Ordering
Longer May Not Get Their
Fuel Later On.

ability Of another general coal short
age next fall and winter. The an
nouncement Is based, the Surve,
states, upon q nationwide study o
conditions In the bituminous field
Unless steps are taken at once tn,
Survey says, to place the mines upor
q basis Of increased production Their,
Is every prospect Of a repetition t
some degree Of the situation that pre-
vailed in the United States during thu
winter Of 1918.
The only way production can be stim
ulated at the prese6t time, 1t is said, 1.
by placing orders with the mines fol
coal which will be needed later on
production during the first five months
Of the year." reads the statement, Eel
57,292,OOO net tons, or approximately
$3.50 below production during the frs,
Eve months of 1918. Mines are produc.
ing coal now at the rate Of from 5000.
700 to $780, 900 IONS a week. An aver.
age output Of 10, 100000 tons a week
must be maintained from June / IL
January ! mex If the country's est.
mated needs of 5OO.OOO,OOO tons this
year are to be met"
Evil Of Delayed Orders.
At no time during this year has the
rate of production approached the re.
quired tonnage. The tendency on the
part Of buyers to hold off placing their
orders is limiting production, as the
mines cannot store coal at the point Of
production, and when the rush of
orders for the winters needs comes
next fall there is grave danger that
the mines, with depleted labor forces
and the probability Of less adequate
transportation, will be unable to meet
the demands. The result Of such q sit
uation would be an insufficient supply
for the requirements Of domestic con-
sumers, public utilities and industrial
users generally.
1T Is believed that requirements for
this year." reads a Survey statement
to Fuel Administrator Garfield, will
be about 530,OOO,O0O tons of bituminous
coal, Of which approximately 80, 900
tons have been used from stocks accu-
INFLATED last year, leaving 500,00O,000
tons to be produced. OF this 500,OOO,-
600 tons 17S,OO0,0 900 tons were produc-
ed during the first five months, leaving
800, 5000 tons to be produced in the
remaining 80 weeks, or an average Of
10, 100000 tons a week.
THUS far this year production has
been at the rate of 100000 tons a
week. In 1918 production was at the
rate Of 100000 tons a week.
This production will be difficult Of &C
complishment. The capacity Of operat.
ing mines at the present time with labor
now on the payroll is about 1919 lower
than it was last year. This deficiency
may be made up in part or wholly II
the mines have orders sufficient to q
them FIVE or six days q week unless the
threatened exodus Of toreign-born labor
occurs.
May Be Car Shortage.
present wage agreements between
operators and miners expire with
the proclamation Of peace by the Pres
ident. A suspension Of mining oper-
atoms while a new wage agreement Is
being negotiated would, Of course, seri-
ously interfere with the production Of
coal and II 1t should occur during the
fall would cause q panic among buyers
and consumers Of coal"
There Is no use in gambling upon
this or any other contingency, fuel ad-
ministration officials say. The firm or
individual who wants to be sure Of an
adequate coal supply next winter can
be certain by buying coal now. There
IL no other way such assurance
can be obtained. Tral Sportation also
promises 10 be a limiting factor II the
food tide Of demand comes at q time
when the country's record crops are
being carried. In some districts 1t
would appear certain that, notwith-
standing the utmost endeavors Of the
Railroad Administration and the util-
izatlon Of its experience last fall, car
shortage will be q cause limiting butt.
minous coal production, and for that
reason 1t is problematical whether the
expected production Of 500, 900, 900 tons
can be attained this year.
Shortage Of labor already 10 q fac.
tor that Is cutting down the output In
some coal producing sections. accord.
Ing to the Surveys report. The opera.
tors eport that from $4,000 to 10000
foreign-born miners expect to return to
Europe as oon as they can get pass.
ports and that many have already re
turned. II continued this movement
will be capable Of producing but one
result-a reduction Of the amount Of
coal mined In districts where the mine
labor 10 largely foreign.born. and there
are many such districts.
He who needs coal should hesitate
no longer. Now u the time to buy
coal