Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-07-12
Cleveland Coal
By Frederic j. Haskin

Cleveland, Ohio, July 9.-Cleveland is
again preparing to go into the coal busl-
ness a new fuel official has been APP
po,nted by the Mayor at the suggestion
of the City Council, and arrangements
arr being made for the establishment OF q,
munieipal coal pile, TO be opened for the
benefit of the public on September l.
When the cold weather comes and the
price Of coal scars fifteen dollars per ton,
as everybody predicts it will, Cleveland
is going to furnish coal to householders
nj cost, plus the expense of delivery.
Cleveland is within eighty mules OF one
Of the largest coal-mining districts IN the
country, and yet IT IS now suffering from
an acute coal shortage. The reason adj
vanecd by coal dealers is that the rail-
roads will not provide enough cars to
transport the coal from the mines. They
also claim that strikes among the miners
have prevented normal production oil
coal which will result in an actual shortage
during the coming winter.
This seems to bc considered sufficient
excuse for Immediately trebling the price
Of coal-at least by the coal dealers. But
neither the city authorities OF Cleveland
nor the United States Attorney General,
MIR. Palmer, agrees with them. =,
Indeed, the latter disagrccs so forclbiy
with the coal dealers that he has ordered
Statewide investigation of coal prices
and the prosecution of operators who
are charging more than 81 70 a ton for the
hituminous product. According TO him,
the wholesale and retail dealers IN coal
are guilty of circulating deliberate propa-
ganda concerning n coal shortage IN order
to boost fuel prices.
SAYS DEALERS ExAGGERATE.
"The production of coal has been
hampcrcd' he admits, but there Is no
serious shortage. Dealers are publishing
sxaggcration in the hope of creating false
prices. More coal was mined during the
FIRST four months in 1920 than during any
similar period in the history OF the
country.
In ordering prosecutions under the
Lever Act, Mr. Palmer explained that
during the month of April, with the pro-
duction cost Of coal Mt S2.79 ton, opera
tors sold their product at So and 81 ton.
Since then, the price has been forced as
high rs 81 and Sll ton. Indeed, If Mr..
Palmer only knew il, the price of coal
in Cleveland and Cincinnati is much
higher than that.
Cleveland. moreover is not checred by
MIR Palmer's sanguine belief that the
investigation of coal prices by the agents
of the Department of Justice, however
ruthless they may be with Reds, is
going TO result IN bringing coal prices
down The coal dealers are for the most
part Amcri,-.n citizens, in absolute ac-
cord with II. American system OF govern
mcnt, which fundamentally does not
object 10 free protitecring.
Anyway, Cleveland Is not taking any
chances. Ii is going about the solution
of the fuel difficulty IN ITS own way, with
apologies to the local coal dealers. II is
preparing to have a coal yard, to till 1t
with about 5000 tons of coal, and dispose
Of II frugally in small sacks or in one-ton |
loads at the most TO individual families |
In taking this important step, the city |
authorities hasten To add that they have |
no unfrcndly feelings toward the local !
coal dcalcrs-that Is, the local and leglti |
mate coal dealers I'VE are not in busi- |
ness" declares one of the city fuel /
experts, Ito disorganize any industry. |
Our object is not 10 run in competition |
with legitimate dealers. so long rs they /
run their business hone stly But when |
the situation becomes so serious that it |
effects public health we are going TO be |
right there with our pile OF coal. We will |
not see any suffering IN Cleveland.
TIE tn REGENT CITY.
This municipal antipathy to public |
suffering. It may bc added parenthcticallv, |
originated several years ago during the adj
ministration Of Mayor Davis, according
TO the fuel official who explained the
Cleveland coal plan to us. 1t was this
MAYOR who started the historic move
meut for three-cent sandwiches, three
cent carfare, and Il re 3-cent telephone
IL -, n - E1.e keI
". He actually lad the three-cent
standard SO 20. .sular herr that a special
appeal by the peo.Ie OF Cleveland was
made 10 the Unitea States Treasury for
the minting OF a three-cent piece of the
same convenient size as the nickel
Although this was long ago, the effect
nf this municipal interference IN the cause
Of low prices is still felt. When prices be-
GIN 10 rise, and rise too precipitately, the
people Of Cleveland have a way Of turning
20 the City Hall and saying, We'll, why
don't YOU do something"
Hence, this is not the first time that
a mayor of Cleveland has ordered the
establishment of municipal coal pile
The frst one was created three years ago
when the big war shortage of coal occurred |
and the municipality decided TO buy coal !
direct from the mines for its own use.
I ALl4 illt-Als tiGl OF !
the city government had arranged for its |
own supply OF coal, but a this time a coal |
commission was created to buy coal |
for all Of the departments. thereby saving, |
as II later transpired, hundreds Of thou |
sands Of dollars. Some Of this saving was |
due 10 the fact that the unloading of the |
coal from the cars was done with prison |
labor, and the city used its ash trucks for !
delivery purposes.
SOLD COAL DURING WAR.
As the householders Of Cleveland at this !
time were suffering from the double |
calamity Of coal shortage and influenza, |
the city authorities decided that they
would simply increase their purchase Of
coal and sell II to everyone who needed
H. They sold II AT cost and had the ash
trucks deliver II whenever possible, while
the poor people, who hocked to the coal
pile by the hundreds carried il away in
small sacks slung over their backs, or on
sleds or IN children wagons.
Tins year, the city plans to conserve it,
OVID energies by entering into contract
with building concern for the storing and
delivery Of coal The householder desir,
mg 10 purchase his supply offuel from the
city will call at the City Hall and receive a
written order for coal. which he will then
present TO the building concern. No coal
Will be permitted 10 leave the ward of this
concern without this written order.
Whether or not the situation will be