The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-11-06
YARDS HOLD ONLY
 ROPER CENT OF
 FULL COAL SUPPLY
Few Days of Cool Weather Would Use All Fuel Retail CTS Here Possess, Sur
 vey DiscIoseS

Coal yards of the city contain only 20 per cent of the fuel necessary 10 supply adequately the needs of a city the size of Birmingham in the event of more than few days of cold weather, retailers admitted sun day.
 Colin Campbell. president and man- ager of tho Ivy Leaf and Piper Coal company. said that at the recent meeting of the local retail coal deal CTS, statistics compiled during the last several weeks by reliable au- thorities showed that the total amount of all grades of coal in all of the yards of greater Birmingham was not over l6,500 tons and doubts were held out by the directors and owners that that amount would reach this figure.
 It was said that a city of this size should have approximately 100000 tons in it's coal yards al all times during the autumn months to meet the winter demands and the supply should not at any time be lower than the 10000 ton mark.
 Public Doesn't Worry
 With these cold and bare facts staring them in the face, the public seems not to show any undue anx- iety about the situation. which is at least acute, according to the dealers. The demand for coal at present is slight. The public seems to care lit tie for the inevitable cold spell, if the demands are any prediction, and those who are buying now are buy Ing only as much as they need for the time being.
 The present acute situation, ac- cording to the local dealers, is not due to the shortage of coal at tho mines but to the shortage of cars and engines, which Is a direct result of the past strike when the rolling stock of the country's railroads reached a low level 4
 Birmingham's public, according to the majority of the dealers, did not stock up during last summer as they did during the summer of 1921. Coal prices then were high and the local dealers experienced f1ourishing summer business. The reason for this unusual business was not fathomed, excepting the belief that the publie bought in fear of still higher prices during the winter. However, prices reached a decidedly low level during the winter and those who stocked up during the summer lost on their speculation.
 Prices Little Lower
 The reasons given for the unpre- cedented drop in coal prices last win ter was the overflow of cheap coal on the local market and was also cccasloned by the advent of the so- called wagon mine dealers" This cheap coal was delivered to the con .1f. { prices considerably cheaper than those of the other coal dealers.
 Another reason given for the poor summer season this year is because of the experiences gained in the drop In prices of last year. However, sev- eral local dealers reported that the past summers demand for all grades of coal were greater than those of the summer of 1921. These are ex- captions. however.
 Prices on all grades of coal today on an average are only slightly low CT than those of last winter. Goa that was selling at sl0 .75 las. year is now selling at $10 ton All other grades have dropped in proportion | This average drop is prevalent among the dealers of the city.
 Coal prices during the summer of 1921 were 25 per cent to 35 per cent higher than those of the summer of 1922 Yet coal that was retailing al s625 a ton in June of 1922 is now selling at s10 ton.
 A boom was experienced by the local dealers last october. However with the present warm spell of weather. business is reported to have fallen to practically. nil. A number of dealers reported that practically no sales were made in the past week
 These expressions were given ou1 by a number of dealers and the be- lief prevails among the large ma jority, 1t was said:
 supply for Two Weeks
 If a cold spell of weather en- veloped Birmingham for two weeks