Evening star., 1920-11-26
ACTION
T00BTA|N Coal.
George w. Evans Deplores
D. C. Situation and Alleged
Causes of Shortage.

To the Editor Of The Star: !
Referring to the anthracite coal sit
uation as it exists in the city of
Washington today. may I. inquire
whether or not anything is being done
by the citizens coal committee to re-
L FHeve the distressing conditions. now
prevailing? I have been makingt a
cursory investigation on my own ac-
count and have ascertafned that our
coal merchants have no stock on hand.
there not being more than q total or
1000 tons OF anthracite coal OF the
several domestic sizes on hand today
in all of the coal merchants yards in
Washington. One of the several mer-
chants informs me that he has a large
number Of outstanding orders from
his regular customers for approx
mately 5000 tons of anthracite coal.
for domestic use. and that not one OF
said orders is he able to fill. except
in driblets of ton at the time to
meet immediate needs ..-...,,.
The same situation confronts, with
out exception, all the other coal nier-
chants of the city. In. many instances
those of our people who are so u!for-
tunate as to be able to buy only a
small quantity Of Goa! at time can.
not get it at any price, because the
coal merchants are endeavoring, In
every way possible, to help their reg
ular customers Also, in many in
stances, the householders gave their
orders to their coal merchants In May
last for their next winters supply Of
coal, but, as yet, have only received
a very limited part of their order.
being frequently told from month TO
month to exercise a little patience and
wait a while and they would nave
their orders filled in full.
And SO they have patiently waited,
and are yet waiting, and no promises
are now being made by our coal mer-
coal to fill the orders. so long out;
standing. Winter is near at hand and
no coal is obtainable to keep warm
the suffering people Of our community
1t is shame that such conditions
should be allowed to exist. and that
the nations capital, so far as the coal
famine is concerned. should be DOM
mated by gang of profiteers. gen.
orally known as the nfdoiemen'
who hold the key to the situation.
have been advised by well known
and prominent coal merchant OF this
city that the operators Of the several
anthracite coal mines sell the most Of
the output of their mines to these
middlemen at very small margin
of profit, and that the latter parties:
demanding outrageous prices for the
coal sought by our merchants.
May I ask. is there not some law,
or regulation, that can put a stop to
these pioneering SCOuH0Iei6 "uO
are daily robbing the people? II not.
then, in mercy, let me plead that the
President Of the United States re-es-
tablish the office Of government fuel
administrator, giving him full and
complete authority to regulate the
price and distribution of coal in order
to meet the very distressing condi-
tions that now prevail. Let us ex-
press the hope that some measure
may be Immediately considered look
ing to the prevention OF e possible possible
and suffering which will be sure to
overtake this community the ap.
preaching winter, by large element
What we need at this time. and
need it badly, is some very strong,
heroic and dractic action. by the pow
ers that be. first to endeavor to have
the outstanding orders Of our coal
merchants promptly filled by the op-
orators, or from whom they purchase
coal. and. second. to have the Capital
city at once supplied with it's requisite
and necessary amount OF fuel for the
coming winter. GEO. ". EVANS.