Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-08-06
Tentative Priority List Also
Announced After Conference
at District Building.
CONSUMERS MUST BUY
FUEL AS IT IS NEEDED
None Will Be Allowed to Fill
Bins for Winter, Says
Keller.

has been definitely selected as the
fuel agency for the District to OBJ
tain the winter supply Of coal, En-
gineer Commissioner Keller an
nounced last night
A tentative priority list to guide
tho commission in distributing fuel
according to tho Importance of the
consumer was drafted at the District
building yesterday.
That list may be revised, however.
following another conference be-
tween the Commissioners and the
coal dealers in Col. Keller's office to-
morrow morning. This conference
was scheduled for o'clock yester-
day afternoon. but at the last min
ute the coal men notified the colonel
that they would not be ready to dis
cuss the situation until Monday.
The tentative priority list Is as fol-
lows: 1. public utilities: 2, hospitals
and asylums; 3, bakeries, ice plants
and dairies; 4, residences and apart
ment houses; S. ONCE buildings; 8.
laundries: Z, hotels; 8, private schools
and colleges: 9, all business places
not mentioned above; 10. unassigned:
II, churches; 12. theaters: 13, depart
ment stores and IA, newspapers.
Coal May Be Taxed.
Col. Keller stated that the utilities
commission may need more employees
10 ;,tr
missions have an emergency fund
Of $4,000. If this appropriation
proves inadequate to finance the ham
ding of the coal situation, Col. KEEL
ler said a small tax may be placed
on the coal obtained by the commits
sion on priority orders to defray the
expenses Of the commission.
Tho colonel did not disclose the de-
tails Of the proposed tax scheme.
which apparently is being considered
only as . possibility If the fuel short
age continues throughout the winter,
connection with distribution.
Yesterdays conference with the
coal men dealt principally with the
priority list and the question Of price
regulation was discussed only in 4
general way. the Engineer Commits
sioner stated.
The colonel explained that the most
important problem Is to set up a
method for obtaining and distributing
the coal. He intimated that when
this is settled a fair margin Of profit
will be fixed for the Dealers The
records Of the Federal Trade Com
mission and other government
agencies in Washington will be used,
Col. Keller said. in determining what
the fair profit should be on coal here
this winter.
To Prevent Resales.
I'VE know the prices at the mines
and we know what the freight rates
are" said the colonel. with these
facts it should not be difficult for us
to arrive at the margin the dealer
should be given"
Not only will the commission seek
to control the price of coal, but it
will endeavor to prevent tho resale
of fuel obtained on a priority order.
For example, II a commercial concern
or an individual obtains a stated
amount of coal and attempts to sell
1t to some other consumer, that con-
cern or individual will be cut of
from further priority rights.
Col. Keller stated last night that
the best plan for each householder to
regular dealer. Each dealer will COM
municate the needs of his consumers
to the commission, which will in turn
file the orders with the federal fuel
administrator.
Col Keller stated that the commits
sion will, az far as it Is able, check
up on tho requests for fuel to see
that no consumer gets more than he
should.
It was plainly indicated that no
consumer may expect to get his full
winter supply Of fuel at ono time. as
he has been accustomed to do under
normal conditions. l
May Use c. 4 O. Canal.
Apparently, the aim Of the utilities
board will be to see that everyone has
enough coal for current needs rather
than allow some more fortunate ones
to get q seasons supply in advance.
The desirability Of putting the Chesa-
peake and Ohio canal into service as
soon as mining :: resumed in the Cum
berland section is understood to have
been broached at the conference yester-
day morning between the Commissioners
and the coal men. The Star a week
ago called attention TO- the value Of
the canal in bringing coal to Wash
inKton II tho railroads are in q jam