Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-07-16
NEEDS OF COUNTRY DEMAND
COAL FOR NEW ENGLAND
Unless Relief Is Giuen Unemployment Will Result, With
Factories Running Half-Time Says Official
Report to Governors
Report to Governors

A committee composed Of the Heuten-
ant governors. state tttet administrators
and other officials OF Massachusetts,
Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island, Ne,0
Hampshire aud Vermont has just pre-.
8ented a report to the governors Of these
states concerning the present fuel crisis
IN NeU England. As conditions there
hdpe q strong resemblance to condtttohs
eLseDhere aud have. moreoDer. a dtreot
bearing on the trade Of the entire coun,
try, the tollo,oing excerpts t0tH DC Jonnd
Of interest.
I'VE WISH to inform your excellen-
w cies in all earnestness that unless
the New England states can obtain
quick and effective relief from the In
terstate Commerce Commission or by
executive action of the President to
overcome the present traffic congestion
our six states will be face to face with
the worst steam coal crisis in their
history.
New England must have 25,0O0,0 900
tons of bituminous coal to burn during
the coal year April I, 1920. to April ! =,
1921. This Is an extremely .conserva-
five figure and assumes a winter with
ont abnormal cold. In the calendar
wear of 1917 we received 23,50O,000
tons. We cleaned out all our reserves
before the end Of the winter and were
in distress, with many shutdowns. We
encountered the utmost anxiety in keep
ing hospitals warm, public utilities
going and our railroads open. In the
calendar year of 1913 we received 81
100 900 tons, encountered the mildest
winter in many years and an unex-
pected let down in manufacturing due
TO the sudden ending of the war, and
found we had 100000 or perhaps
1 500, 10000 more tons of coal on hand
than we needed to 60 through the
winter.
Twenty five million tons is low es-
innate, especially in the present condi-
ton of our reserves, and may perhaps
be criticized as 100000 or 1000, 900
tons too low for safety.
WE CANNOT give the figures for
w 1919, because there existed no
Federal Fuel Administration and the
| figures are not available.
| Now, how is the coal running to us
during the first quarter of the present
coal year beginning April l, 1920?
We give the figures We are certain
they are accurate, at least within a
|
Coal received in New England, April I,
1920, to July l, 1920:
All rail ....... .:'.'..:.;. 2,4oo'OOO
Tidewater via New York,
Philadelphia and Baltimore $4,000
Tidewater via Hampton
Roads ...........,,... 40 ,OOC
Total .................- 1850, ,0OO
This shows that during three of the
warm months most favorable to move =
ment by land and sea we have been re-
ceiying coal at the rate of only IS,
600 900 tons per annum.
This shortage of 6, 400, 900 tons wil
only permit the New England factories
To run next winter on half time. We
must keep our railroads open, our pub
lie utilities going, our water works and
sewage pumping stations running, anC
these and some other minor essential
services require the consumption oi
12 800 900 tons out of the necessary
total of % 900, 900, leaving the short
age of $4,000 tons to be born,
, wholly by our manufacturing establish
! ments, or only enough fuel to keep then
going on half time, probably beginning
with the early fall, when our present
limited reserves will play out and tn,
period of greater consumption arrives.
: The present fuel crisis in this coun
try is a transportation problem anc
nothing else.
In applying to the Interstate Com
merce Commission on June II for re
!, , lief, as directed by you, we kept con
ditions In other parts of the countr,
yiyidly before US, and asked the com
! mission TO put into effect an orde
5 which we are positive will work ben
EFT not merely to New England but L
all sections OF the country east of tn
, Mississippi river.
We asked the Interstate Commerc
. Commission to issue an order giving tn
: New England states preference owe
export coal in car supply, in car move
!. ment and In dumping at the piers O
Baltimore and Hampton Hbadss