Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-07-09
SEESN0D DANGER
OF A COAL CRISIS
G. H. Cushing BIames Gov
ernmentaI Agitation for
Fear of Shortage.
There is M shortage of coal"

There is no shortage of coal"
There is no danger of any Such snort
age. Therefore, there is reason, but
no excuse, for the current high prices
the open market. The reason Is ina,
we have had too much governmental
agitation of the danger of famine
| With this statement, George H. Cush-
| ing, managing director of the American
Wholesale Coal Association, with offices
| in the Woodward building, sums up the
Washington coal situation.
No Cause for Panic.
Despite assertions of local coal deal
| ers that they are confronted with an
acute coal shortage, from which no re-
| lief is foreseen until the transporta-
| ton situation is materially cleared, MIR.
Gushing asserts the public is panic
stricken without cause.
THE fact is that since November
| 1. 1919-eight months-there has
not been a day or even an hour when
some governmental agency was not
agitating about coal and predicting a
coal famine" Mr.. Cushing said to-
day.
Cites Presidents Commission.
Specifically, the President assumed
control of coal on the 1st OF NoVem /
Der last and returned the fuel ad.
ministrator to power. He appointed
the central coal committee which re-
til the end of March, 1920. Thus Tor
five months the nation was on coal
rauons, implying an Impending
shortage. It retained control over
exports until May l, 1920, thus lead
ing the people to believe that they
were being robbed of coal to beneht
Europe.
THE Presidents coal comml sslon
began work in January, 1920. 1t had
only to arbitrate a labor dispute. II
is still here. And it's present 1unc-
ton is to agitate the coal question
to avoid a famine
beginning early in April, SUD-
committee of the interstate commerce
committee of the Senate held hearings
which lasted through two months.
At every session there were frequent
references to coal famine. AS
coined. In May, the Presidents coal
commission. Council of National De-
Tense and the United States geological
survey sent out QueStionna1reS as TO
the coal supply. The effect was still
further to raise the specter of a coal
famine.
Priority Order Issued.
"In June, the Interstate Commerce
Commission. declaring that an emer-
gency exists in COAL issued a pri-
ority order with respect to the move
ment of coal to New England. This
capped the climax by saying in gov
ernmental language that what had
been feared had happened.
Thus eight governmental agencies
to say nothing of the Department OF
Justice-have been preaching famine
and creating panic for eight months.
The people could react in only one
way. They had to believe their Of
ficials. If they believed, the only
sensible thing for them to do was to
buy coal when it could be had at any
price which was asked. The rise in
price has been truly phenomenal.
Coal Consumption for Year.
81 have investigated nearly every
alarmist report. Not one of them
will stand scrutiny or analysis
Broadly speaking. the actual facts are
that the consumption of bituminous
coal for the coal year April l, 1920
to March 81, 1921. will not exceed
535, 100000 tons. Because of labor un-
rest everywhere, it is more likely to
fall far below than to rise above that
figure. But, assuming that it will
reach that figure. the demand is for
only 10,288,000 tons a week.