Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-08-10
SUPPLY ON HAND SMALLEST IN
YEARS, INCLUDING DURING
MINERS STRIKE.
SURVEY SHOWS LESS THAN
500 TONS NOW ON HAND
Prospects for Supply Are Not Bright
Factories Being Supplied-Most
Coal Received From Iowa Mines
No Eastern Coal coming-coks
Will Be Short.

.SNe~~'oAA
when even tardy nouseholders> are
beginning to think about putting in
their winters supply of fuel. in
quirers are finding that there is next
to no coal to be had. A survey of
local dealers stocks indicates that
there probably is less than 500 tons
OF all kinds of fuel in the city. AS
far as immediate needs are concern
ed this situation is not alarming but
when future needs. with fires to be
started hardly more than month
away, are considered it makes a
prospect that is not bright
1t probably is fact that there
is less coal OF all kinds In the city
now than at any time in many years,
including the weeks OF the coal
strike. The worst feature OF the sit
uation is that very little coal is
looming in and dealers have no as
suranee when they are going to get
any.
Factories Being Supplied.
Dealers are keeping industries and
factories supplied and some LARGE
consumers have protected themselves
by putting in a fairly large supply.
There is no immediate. danger OF any
local industry being forced to shut
down on account OF a lack of coal
ID there is a very grave danger that
there will be a continued storage of
| coal In the city all winter At least
one local dealer, in View OF the past
experiences does not see how it Will
be possible for mines to pile up any
surplus nor for dealers to get stocks
sufficient to fill their bins and yards.
Stocks Very Limited.
! One dealer reported a maximum OF
400 tons of all kinds, q large part of
! it Iowa coal, another reported as lit
tie as ten tons on hand. All have
advance orders for u:i grades of
domestic coal commonly used here
and are delivering it az rapidly as
! the very meager supply has been
ireceived. A little Illinois coal has
been coming into the city but the
r., ttla, has been small. Most of the
receipts of coal in recent weeks have
has been arriving and the city is gq-
ing. to be. very short of coke all fall
and winter. 1t is certain that the
coke supply will not be anywhere
nearly enough to supply domestic
demands.
| Producer Becomes Consumer.
The commonest and largest single
| source of coke supply has been the
/ Iowa Railway and Light Company.
During the miners strike it's supply
/ OF coke made here did much to save
the city from an actual fuel famine.
/ Now. since the company has been
making gas out of crude Oil, it has
4 ceased to produce coke, and instead
! has become consumer Of that fuel.
The company now is shipping an
taverage of five cars of coke a week
to fire it's gas benches. In the fall
/ and winter, it may make some coke
but if it does it will use all of it at
its gas plant.
Dealers Marking Time.
Coal dealers actually are marking
time, taking what little coal they can
/ get> and trying to be patient. They
/ confess they are unable to help
/ themselves. No so-called eastern
4 Goals, mined in Virginia and Ken
lucky. are reaching this part or the
middle west by rail, and the indica-
lions seem to be tnat comparatively
little of these grades Of coalNwill be
available here for use this winter.
One dealer sees bright spot In
the otherwise gloomy situation in the
priority order for 1000 cars day
OF Virginia and Kentucky coal for
| the head of the lakes. The federal
coal board has ordered that quantity
isnipped until further orders to Du-
luth and Superior via. Cleveland and
| Toledo and the lakes. A certain
percentage of this coal will be re-
shipped to Iowa territory but how
much is not quite certain.
Warned to Burn Wood.
/ The warning already has been sent
out by the Iowa Farm Bureau Fed
.eration to it's members that they
should plan now to supply their fuel
needs from wood lots. This warning
! is equally applicable to city jewellers
and the wise ones, warned now that
coal probably will be scare and hard
! to get, should turn their attention to
wood and make arrangements to
Z have at least a part of the winters
supply put in the bins within the
next few weeks.