Evening journal., 1919-06-12
The Ace i'm the Hole
BY AMEDEE J. CASEY.
Editor. American Coal Journal.

ordinarily the American business mar
is a pretty far-seeing individual. lie f.
always willing to take a chance, bu
he likes TO have an ace IN the hole, as
! the unrcgcnerate say. In other words
/ he believes in being prepared for indus
! trial emergencies. In view of this fact
/ which is common knowledge. his atti-
lude on The coal question is rather dilli-
cult 10 understand. he is buying hcay-
| lily for domestic use but from his ap-
parent lack Of interest in industrial
coal. one would be led 10 think hc
never expected 10 generate another
pound Of steam in his boilers. This ten
dcncy is liable iO cause him serious
Inconvenience later on, 10 say nothing
of expense. not only in his plant but in
his home as well. u Is very apt 30 re-
act also on those who have only The
home 10 consider.
The most popular domestic fuel in
most of the country is anthracite coal
There are many cities where nothing
else is permitted iO be used either in
The home or factory. Consequently The
conditions governing the anthracite
market are Of more than passing inter
est TO big portion Of the population.
pointed out in a previous article that
In preparing anthracite for the market,
the coal is run through a breaker
which separates the great humps into
usablc sizes. The most popular sizes are
egg, stove and chestnut and these with
pea coal which is not so popular but is
very useful, arc known as the domestic
or prepared sizes. They comprise about
GO per cent Of the coal put through the
breaker The other 10 per cent, is
made up Of what are known as the
steam sizes -buckwheat. rice and barley.
It is with no intent that these sizes are
produced. Mine operators would much
prefer that the percentage were smaller,
but the steam sizes occur through the
mechanical action OF the breaker and
cannot be avoided They must be mar
kcled. however Coal costs too much 10
produce and the margin Of profit is too
small to permit the throwing away Of
anything Ike 40 per cent. Of The out
put
Now what has happened?
During the war. the steam sizes were
sold readily. steam users were very
busy and coal conditions were acute
Therefore, they bought as far ahead as
possible, took delivery whenever they |
could get il and stored The coal. The I
end Of hostilities found some Of them /
with nearly a years supply in reserve. /
Since then there has been a tendency
which. under ordinary conditions would
rave been perfectly natural, to stop
Juying coal until such time as the re
erve stocks were reduced TO a normal
,asis.
That is a mistaken and an unsuccess-
I'll policy because conditions, especial
y in the coal industry, are not normal
nd will not be normal for some time
o come and tho steam user who per-
nits his reserve supply of coal to {
windle is taking a big chance, in fact, {
Ie is overlooking a bet that is unusual.
This is how the situation shapes up ;
o me: We are, sooner or later, going I
O experience a tremendous business ;
,oon and lots OF coal is going 10 be {
lecdcd Coal is already high with no
possibility Of going lower and every {
prospect OF going higher. There is
pig railroad deficit. with talk OF increas-
ID freight rates as a partial effect That
viii mean an increased destination cost
1n coal which win be no greater than
he cost of carrying coal bought and
stored now There is also, we are told,
m impending car shortage which will
Interfere with shipments Of coal re-
,ardless Of rates.
Already there is a shortage. Of mine