Republican farmer., 1920-07-16
Jess Coal
 Than In ' War
Situation Here in B r i d g e port and Throughout the State Becoming Desperate Gealers Forced to Buy in the Open Market President Again Ap- pealed to.

 The coal situation in Connecticut has reached such stage that the Ruthorfties at Washington have been notified that unless promises are at once made with the power and the in teption of carrying out the promises of relief the industries of the state svfN be in a very bad condition by winter time and many of them will be obliged to close down.
 Here in Bridgeport the condition is ouch that even the school board could not arrange for coal for the school furnaces and has already contracted for a supply of coke. Of course, un- ,less there is bitu1ninous coal. there will be no coke. The manufacturers p6 the city are very openly alarmed over the situation.
 Last week Gov. Ho1comb wired the president that steps ought to be taken at once to relieve the coal situation and the president has replied that he Is studying the situation. Yesterday the mayor of Hartford wired Presf- dent Wilson to the same effect.
 7One of the big coal dealers of the Utate says:
 J 'At no time during the war were the conditions so bad as Just now Of course. it is summer now and the people are not using much coal. but If some relief in receipts does not come soon, so that supplies of bitumi- nous coal can be laid in for the win {, ter, some of the local factories will have to close down business. And business in New England will have ., to be closed down, too.
 y And the anthracite coal situation is also very badly. Canada and the West are getting this coal, but the New England states are neglected. Mining of coal Is in progress. but the coal. In my opinion there ought to ' be an embargo on these shipmep ts for family. use and for the factories r people of Canada are paying almost any price in order to get anthracite and the failure of the railroads to for at least so days. And bituminous coal is being shipped to Europe in large quantities"
 Further evidence that the coal situation in this city Is rapidly ap- preaching an acute stage was con- tained in a statement made by Harry B. Husted. secretary and treasurer of , the City Ice & Coal Company. which was submitted to the Chamber of Commerce today.
 ' The coal dealers statement as given out by MT. Husted follows:
 Coal cannot be obtained through x the regular channels, caused by the unsettled conditions in railroad Transportation, but it can be obtained ' through what might be termed "The
 open Market" at prices much higher than regular circular.
 J Question-Would 1t be advisable tc purchase through this market, which would cost approximately $5 more a ton at this time and thereby avert g
 coal famine next winter, or let mat |, ters take their course and see if the
 railroad situation clears up?
 Commenting on the situation, MT Husted said that the shortage of coal was entirely due to transportation meet the demand for cars. Some fac tories in the city according to MT Husted are living from hand to mouth and have only coal enough in theil bins to last them for AS hours. The factories trat are supplied by the City Ice and Coal Company can be taker care or for two weeks at least and { I possible three if the supply was cut of entirely, sadd MT. Husted.
 Charles Mercer of the Karm Termi |, nal said this morning that shipment
 were dribbliney in but there has beel
 no decided improvement in the situa
 ton.
 Coal dealers in the city are of tn
 opinion that there will be a decided Improvement in the situation afte the 20th of the month when the LaIbo Award Commission will submit thei . report in regard to an adjustment 0 wages for railroad employees. Goa
 dealers in this city at present ar
 paying lajborers s5 a day for min hours work while the switchmen an
 other employees of tho railroads ar