The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-11-19
COAL ORDER MAY
CAUSE SUSPENSION
!. OF MANY PLANTS
New Coal Order May Cause
Suspension of Many OPP
characterization
General

With an estimated so per cent normal
production, Birmingham is threatened
with coal famine that may compel the
suspension of operations at practically
all of her manufacturing plants.
This is the result of the order issued
by the national fuel administration Sun
day night directing that coal be deliv-
cred to certain Industries. public utilities
and domestic consumers according to
the classification list prepared by the
fuel administration.
Pig iron furnaces, steel mills. foun-
dries, machine shops, boiler works, pipe
plants cotton mills and, in fact, nearly
every kind of manufacturing industry
in Birmingham is excluded from the pre-
ferred classification list. Ice factories,
storage warehouses where food articles
are stored, cotton seed oil mills and 9TH
ers that make or handle foodstuffs will
be supplied before the nonessentials can
get any coal.
Not only does the latest order exclude
the great majority of Birmingham IN
dustries from the preferred list. but the
territory to be supplied by Birmingham
mines is. or will be, enlarged by ex-
tending it west of New Orleans, Memphis
and down through that region. The en-
largement of the territory will necessitate
the Withdrawn of thousands of tons of
coal from Birmingham and the southeast
which is normally supplied by this dis
trict. thereby curtailing the supply Tor
consumption here.
AFFECTS COMMERCIAL MINES
This order, it is understood, only af-
fects the commercial coal mines, and
the mines of other concerns that own
their own railroads over which the coal
is hauled from their own mines to their
coke ovens and furnaces may not be
affected. The Tennessee Coal, Iron and
Railroad company and the Woodward
Iron company have not been in the com
mercial coal business for sometime, and
as they own their own railway fines they
probably will not be affected to any con-
siderable extent unless the fuel admin
istration supplements its order to include
them.
1t was learned from coal operators,
sales agencies and manufacturers yester-
day that approximately 80 per cent of the
manufacturing plants in Birmingham
have supplies of coal on hand that will
last them probably 10 days, and after
that, unless there is a material improve
ment in conditions, they will have to
shut down.
Some of the manufacturers. in antic-
patton of a shortage during the winter
began stocking up last summer and in
the early fall and these will be able to
continue operations for periods varying
fl en- a few weeks to a few months. Not
many of them, however. are fortunate
enough to have stocks on hand that will
run for many weeks.
CONDITION is GENERAL
This condition is said to be general
throughout the territory supplied by the
Birmingham mines, though to a lesser
extent in communities somewhat distant
from Birmingham Large consumers out
side of the immediate Birmingham dis
trict to whom deliveries cannot be made
as expeditiously as in Birmingham and
vicinity, are said to have laid in larger
supplies than the concerns in this inn
mediate district, but they cannot go on
present stocks for an indefinite period.
One of the oddities about the situation
is that the operators may load and con
sign their coal to old customers regard
less of their business or the purposes for
which it is to be used. but after it leaves
the mine it comes under the control OF
the fuel administration. which has in
structed the railroads to deliver it ac-
cordng to the regulations of the fuel
administration. This arrangement, at
least. will relieve the operators of the
responsibility of not delivering the coal
to their customers. and shift the 'cuss-
ing from them to the fuel admins
tration of the railroads., who are use to