The Washington times., 1922-07-29
GIT ! NOT
EXPECTED
SUFFER
HousehoIders Will Be Able to
Get Enough distribution
Principal Problem.

Interviews today with opera
tives Of local wholesale anthracite
dumps, officials of the Coal Mer-
chants Board Of Trade, and
heads Of Leading retail fuel con-
Germs elected the following facts
respecting the present situation
and prophecies in regard to the
coming fall and winter: +
Stocks of domestic anthracite
chestnut, stove and egg-are ex-
hausted.
There is still fair supply of
the formerly unpopular pea coal
on hand, but the demand is very
strong and the mine distributors
are not booking any more orders.
Distribution the Problem.
The public apparently has been
stampeded into a wild search for
anthracite that has had the effect of
clogging delivery system and has
caused an unofficial institution of
"rationing" by several retailers.
The use of soft coal, except for
Ia distinctly not a success. The
bituminous must be fired five or six
times as often as anthracite IL en-
ployed In cook stoves, has a tendency
to fall out at the bottom, and is a
household nuisance on account of its
smoke and gases
Through the winter, the question
OF fair distribution will be perhaps
more vexing than that of obtaining
fuel. The dealers will have to main
tain an order OF ton and two-ton lots
down their list Of regular patrons,
going from A to u and commencing
over again. The bulging bin will be
a. extinct as the dodo during the
cold season of 1929. ,.. .
Wholesalers and retailers alike are
indulgtng In plain talk about the
situation. They do not paint In
glowing colors, and their main reli-
ance Is that operation OF the union
mines soon will be recommended.
There Is one universal note of op-
umism, however. :.
No matter how much other cities
suffer, say the coal men, the Capt.
tai OF the nation will not experience
coal famine. The center of gov.
ernment, with its great army of
employees, will be kept warm. Plain
Mr.. Business Man will be vicar
tously comfortable because he lives
in the same town with Mr.. Federal
Clerk.
There have been many complaints
In the past few days of inability of
householders to obtain coal for
cooking, washing, water, heating,
etc. This is explained by dealers
as being the result of a concerted
rush for supplies by public lust
awakening, in spite of the four
month duration Vt the great strike
to the realization that things may
grow difficult. The anxiety to con-
tract for futures has had the effect
OF embarrassing present small de.
msnds.
SO Not Despised Now.
As noted before, the only depend.
ence OF anthracite users at this
time is in the once-despised pea
coal, the smallest Of the six grades
In general use, a fuel which is
prone to slip through CRATE bars
and which messes up the cellar.
The pronouncement of an official
Of one of the largest wholesale an.
thracito dumps in the city is
therefore of interest.
HNeIy pit VI pea coal now COM
Ing in was mined before the
not saleable. while chestnut, stove
or egg was to be had. The sup
plies now being hauled over the
rails are from what we call the
Old Line companies. the largest
distributing concerns. They, only,
had sufficient storage capacity to
preserve stocks until several
months after the onset of the
strike. The independents quit on
April ], for the most part Now
this storage Is running down to
rock bottom. and the Old Liners
are not accepting further orders.
They are booked for all the pea
coal they have, and their buck
wheat, the big anthracite used in
steam plants, gave out before pea.
Nobody wants to load up with
pea, because II Is an absolute drug
on the market In normal times.
To bring In newly-mined stocks of
pea would mean that all grades
were available. for pea is simply
by-product Of the breakers which
automatically sorts the coal intoT
its several grades. ..
There's no reason for the pub
lie to become excited, however.
The situation in Washington will
be taken care of. Distribution next
winter will be a ton here and a
ton there. Ordinarily, dealers fill
one cellar and go to the next, as
II were, but they will now be
forced to different tactics. And
any change in this scheme of dis
tribution while the shortage lasts
will be disastrous. Householders
should bear that in mind IL told
they cant have more than ton
or two at once"
Many Are Stocked Up.
The spokesman for the Coal MGR.
chants Board of Trade said:
"a lot Of residents here may have
taken a long look ahead and stocked
up when II became evident that the
strike was inevitable. Just how many
thousands OF tons of desirable anth.
racite are reposing In cellars 1t would
be out Of the question to determine.
But the great part Of the public is
not stocking; that is evident from the
rush reported by dealers In the last
few days. Everyone seems just 10
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