Evening journal., 1921-05-10
COAL SITUATION
WORRIES TRADE
Say Failure to Buy Now
May Cause lnconven-
fence Later
PENN. TAX WILL
ADD TO COST

Edward r. Pussy, president Of
the y. r. Pusey Company. Si3 Ship
ley street, and Wilmer Stradley.
president OF the Diamond Ice and
Coal Company. 911 Market street
will leave Wilmington tomorrow for
Richmond, Va. 90 attend the an
nual convention OF the National Re-
tail Coal Merchants Association.
Sessions VIII be held In the Hotel
jefferson, and will continue for
three days.
Exceptional interest attaches to
the deliberations OF the convention
because of the great slump In sales
OF anthracite and the new tax which
has been imposed on both hard and
soft coal by the Pennsylvania Leg
islature
According TO mine operators and
, retail dealers the slump In sales
threatens TO cause a greater short
age in fuel next winter than that
which occurred In the one just
passed. They assert that the coun-
try's coal supply Is dependent
upon transportation facilities. II
cars are available and there Is no
. congestion Of trafiice. due to bad
weather or the movement OF other
] freight. the railroads can handle all
/ the coal the country can use. pro-
/ vided the demand is distributed over
several months. II the demand.
/ however. comes at once. during the
worst time OF the year. so Far as
railroads are concerned. they insist
there will be trouble.
There IS no theory about this. "
said Mr. Pusey today. THE facts
ar. too uncomfortably plain TO leave
any doubt. when there is no de-
mund for coal. the mines cut down
production for the same reason that
any producer or manufacturer does;
il is either that or bankruptcy.
"The mines can store certain
I amount of coal In anticipation OF
demand. but they cannot begin 90
store the quantity tho country needs.
For one reason they haven't the
storage space. for another they
: haven't the money TO tie up. and
for third reason the railroads
could not move the coal even IL the
mines could store IT,
such is the situation prevailing
at present mere lAhN nffW no hH
preciable demand for coal for sew
eral weeks and. as result the
mines are working only a day oi
two a week. Take bituminous coal
FOR instance. which forms the coun'
try's greatest production. Accord
! ing 20 reports OF the United State
Geological Survey. there have beer
produced since the first OF the yea
only about 5,25S.OOO tons. Las
year at this time the production
had aggregated 153, $4,000 tons.
1T Is difficult al times" continue
Mr.. Pusey. ito understand the att
tude Of the coal consuming publ
l Coal Is usually the last thing TO
, considered by the average house
holder when 10 should be among IN
first. Householders know they mus
have coal and they know coal is al
ways cheapest az this time OF tn
year. when old mine contracts hav
J expired and new ones are bein
e made. when the railroads have plent
% of cars available and when loca
b dealers are in a position TO make de
, liveries without the extra cost Incl
q dent TO bad weather. In spite o
9 this. buying is too often put of unit
the last minute"
T, The new tax on hard coal impose
- by the recent Pennsylvania Legisla
b ture. will become effective on July !
81 IL applies 10 steam as we'll as domes
D. tic sizes and levies one and one-hal
- pc recent Of the mine price to all an
81 thracite.