Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-12-09
CONSUMERS SLOW TO
TRY SUBSTITUTES
Coal Commissioners Having
Hard Time to Satisfy All
Demands on Them.

In spite of the fact that the only
possible thing persons without coal in
this city may do. that Is to resort 10
the use or substitutes. Robert d.
Kemp. n member of the Delaware Coal
Commission. this morning stated In
an interview with an Every Evening
representative that many of the per-
sons most vitality concerned In this
respect refuse 10 place their order for
coke or buckwhcat coal. tho only two
substitutes that are now available.
What are we going Ia do" he asked.
I'VE can't get them the kind OF coal
they want. I only wish we could"
Mr.. Kemp stated that the public
schools of Wilmington have been
using coke and buckwheat coal ever
since the beginning OF the war and
that they had been getting salts
factory results. In regard TO the stu
alton here. Mr.. Kemp said that IL is
much the same as il is in New York.
When asked IL he knew about how
many tons OF coal substitutes there
were. in Wilmington at the present
time. Mr.. Kemp said that he had no
exact figures at hand. but that he
thought there was a sufficient guam
ti,y TO take care OF tho demands o,
those who were in need OF coal and
were willing TO use substitutes.
In regard 10 the rumor that certain
people in the state were getting coal
over the heads OF the Delaware Coal
Commission. Me. Kemp said that this
was nothing new. And from his
answer the inference WAS taken that
this sort of thing had been going on
for a long time. This is one or many
instances that illustrate forcibly the
need for some kind OF power on the
| part os the commission. Mr.. Kemp
! had nothing 20 say in regard To the
/ rumor that the next Legislature
would be asked To take action in this
/ respect.
Mr.. Kemp. Of course. could say
nothing in regard TO change in the
/ ruling OF Federal Coal Commission
The present ruling of that commission
limits the allotment 10 this city until
March 81. Under this ruling the city
can obtain 79s0l, tons of coal be.
tween September II last and March
/. 1923.
AS 10 the Delaware Coal Ccmmis.
sioners themselves they have beer
working tlrelessly ever since their ap.
pointment. In many oases the clerlIs
have been working from early morn.
ing until late at night. They receiv,
all sorts 81 demands and requests. IN,
people making the demand, evident
: ~ being under the impression tina
the commission has all kinds Of pow
ers and may get them any amount AZ
coal Many different suhterfures haN,
been used by the public In an effort
get coal. In one instance a man call
ed the office Of the commission an,
represented himself as doctor. VI,
told a clerk IN the Office over the tele
phone that there was very serious 81
ness in a certain family and that n,
recommended that they get an im,ne
date supply Of coal. Upon investiga
ton IL was found that the doctor re
ferred TO had never even heard OF IN
family making the request. let aion
attending them. Yet with all their har
work the clerks Job At the commits
sion Is thanl0less one. as grea
many persons trying 10 get Goa
through the office az the commits
sion are evidently under the impress
o sion that 10 use a little force IN max
ing their request for coal Will &c. ther
the desired amount This Is not tn
cass- however. '-snd 10 only serves 2
make the work OF the clerks muc
harder
IL said that rather than burn cox
Ct buckwheat coal many people 4
Wilmington are using wood. and ar
installing gas and oil stoves This
a much more expensive proposltio
than the using OF coke or buckwhaa
, And the public il requested 20 q
ieas; give these substitutes a ;rial