The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-07-27
Edison Company Has Only a
5-Day Supply.
Impossible to Get a Reserve, A.
H. Purdy Says Today.
WE ARE SITTING ON VOLCANO"
Fl. L. Peppmeyer Declares City
Is at Mercy of Miners.
Topeka Industries Are on
"Hand to Mouth" Basis.

We are sitting on a volcano"
That is the way H. L. Peppmeyer of
the Topeka Coal company. describes
the coal situation in Topeka.
Topeka, he explains it, is at the
mercy of southern Kansas for steam
coal Steam coal is essential in the
operation of industries. Steam coal
cannot be stored for any length of
time due. to. its combustible danger
and the Industries OF the city must
keep steam in &eir boilers from
hand to mouth"
A. H Purdy of the Topeka Edison
company is pessimistic over the pro-
liabilities of tieup in case of serious
trouble in the southern Kansas fields.
I'VE have only 500 tons of coal in
setorage,"- he said 1--WE burn $50 tons
a day. We have five days supply on
hand. We have a possible two cars
in transit At this time of the year
we usually figure on 5000 tons in stor-
reserve and conditions unsettled ]
don't know what will happen"
COnfIscatiOn of Coal.
Then there is another danger fac
ing the local Industries. What will
the railroads do? The railways have a
habit of confiscating coal al they need
it-and they have started their cru
sade. The Missouri Pacific last week
took five cars from the Topeka Coal
company that was consigned to a state
institution-the asylum in Toeka
This is against the law-but what is
law when coal is needed, seems to be
the new coal creed.
AT the present time the Wolff Pack
ing company the Beatrice Creamery,
the Seymour Packing company, the
brick company and the Mutual Laun-
dry ar using a supply of steam coal
that probably will last a week. But il
is impossible to collect a reserve sup
ply.
Labor Shortage Also.
The shortage of labor is adding to
the trouble. The RocS Island rail-
way in Topeka this week received a
notice from the government ordering
that road to refuse to set cars for coal
firms that could not unload in "a
hours. The scarcity of labor makes il
every coal company in the city is vio-
lating it, dealers say today.
Guilford Dudley of the McCleery-
Dudley company is not so pessimistic
as other dealers.
II believe wen always have plenty
for the essential industries and the
public utilities he said. 1T may be
necessary to curtail production in eer-
tain lines of manufacturing but we
haven't reached that period yet"
Mr.. Dudley says more Topekans
have ordered their winter domestic
Supplies than ever before and as fast
as the coal is received it is sent to the
household bins.
1T is a fact that we'll need consid-
erably more before winter sets in" he
admitted.
City Situation Satisfactory.
City Commissioner Stanfieid was.not
alarmed over the water and electric
light situation.
We do not begin winter storage be-
fore September" he said. ITO store
steam coal now would be foolish. II
would take fire in a week or So We
are running along nicely at the water
works and electric light plants"
The Edison company supply is the
most serious to Topeka. The Edison
company furnishes light, heat and
power to the entire city. The street
railway receives power from this big
plant.
The situation seems to depend upon
the miners in southern Kansas. If
they refuse to mine coal the industries
and the consumer will have to suffer.