Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1920-08-10
FAMINE TALES ARE
BRANDED AS SNARE
Coal Mems Head Says Shortage
Cry a Trick.
LENGTHY ANALYSIS ISSUED
Declares Somebody Is Trying to "Put
Something Over" on the People
Says Production of Coal Is
Very Heavy.

Washington, Aug. 2.-The constant
try of "coal famine" is being raised
by those who are trying to put some
thing over on the American people,
according to George ii. Cushlng'
managing director of the American
Wholesale association.
In lengthy analysis of the coal
situation. Mr.. Cushing said:
'The production Of coal has been
so heavy that, if there had not been a
constant reiteration of the danger OF
The impending famine, there never
would have been a thought OF INSULT
cheney Of coal supply"
There is a vast difference between
the consumption of coal and present
inflated demand for it, he pointed out,
but by measuring production against
any reasonable need of coal, he con-
tends. there would be shown to be no
coal shortage.
Cites Ford as Example.
The trouble, Mr. Gushing admits, is
drawing "a line between the peoples
need and what they have been scared
into wanting" As an illustration OF
the frantic demand for coal created
by the persistent talk Of famine ne
points to the case of Henry Ford. who
now has in the field ten agents buy
ing coal for his Detroit automobile
factory.
one of these agents recently
8 yt1ir1n
for 50 ton. Another agent of Mr..
Ford persuaded the same mine to sell
him the same 100 cars for $3.50. A
third agent of Mr.. Ford still later per
suaded the same mine to sell him the
same 100 cars of coal for SO ton.
at times four, five and even six
of these ten agents of Mr.. Ford have
been in the same district bidding
against each other for the same lot OF
coal for the same user"
Others Also Buying.
Other large consumers of coal are
following similar practices, Mr.. Cush-
ing asserted, and the result is that
the real demand for coal is multiplied
many times over before it reaches the
source of supply.
AS showing why some public utill-
flies and other concerns are suffering
from n shortage of coal now, Mr..
Gushing cited this instance of how
other consumers are buying heavily
and storing coal for the future:
"One group of consumers appealed
-. oNyrNnntn6 N mood
25O.OOO tons of coal after the middle
of September. BEFORE the middle of
July they were frantically in the mar
ket offering any price which anyone
would accept, and, TO my knowledge.
that demand was multiplied eight
times before it reached the source of
supply"
Everybody admits. according to the
coal association president, that there
are enough mines. enough miners and
enough coal to supply the home de-
mand and the demand for the rest of
the world as well. Amy shortage which
may actually exist. he said, there
fore is not at the mines, but at the
destination"
Plenty of Cars.
He denied the railroads have sup
plied the mines with less cars than
usual "In the first place" he eX
plained. the high prices have brought
many new mines into existence. The
railroads have had to supply these
with cars. The distribution. of fixed
number of cars among a greater MUM
her of mines naturally resulted in a
reduced percentage of cars at each
mine. Thus we got enough coal In
the aggregate. although each mine
produced less"
Mr.. Cushing recites statistics 70
show that during the first quarter of
THE current coal year-April. May and
June-the quantity of coal produced
was 22.7 per cent of the years esti
mated required production. This is
only % per cent below % per cent in
the first quarter. which is "cOmforta-
bly ahead of the records of all proceed
bng years except 1918"