Evening star., 1922-04-26
90, DAYS COAL SUPPL Y
7HS7RZKE MONTH OLD

! by the Ass0cis ted Press. -
CHICAGO. April 36.-With the coaa
strike In it's fourth week, q survey Of
thirteen states including 'Pennsyl-
vania, Alabama. Kentucky. Texas and
| most of the midwestern states. indi-
Gates that coal supplies for at least
| sixty days are on hand generally,
while stocks in several places were
expected to last from ninety days to
four months.
Many of the larger factories and
! public utilities reported the possess
! sion OF enough fuel to last well into
| the summer, but in some states the
smaller towns and some Independent
! factories were less amply provided
although relief sufficient for emer-
gencies was expected from non
union mines still in operation. Many
/ Kentucky mines were said to be
working day and night. and Alabama
IIproduction was described as near
normal. Confidence rather than
| anxiety, 50 far rs the fuel supply Is
concerned. was the rule in all states
| from which reports were received.
| Little unusual demand was evident;
| In some cases dealers declared that
there will be no market or that
| they had more than enough coal on
hand. Prices generally are state
Operators and dealers announced
however. that there would be no
summer reductions. with the strik-
| ing exception Of the Alabama district
| where it was stated that summer
F, prices would be 80 per cent lower
(. than last year.
Reports by states.
! Reports by states follow:
| Pennsylvania.--Prod have not
ty,t- tVNGr 50
Iduction and prices of domestic sizes
of anthracite coal We're expected to
| remain stationery during the suspen-
! sion of mining. at least. Here and
there retail dealers have made slight
reductions to stimulate demand, but
| there has been no general price cut
ting. Many consumers are deferring
purchase of next winters supply on
the chance, it was said. of obtaining
their coal cheaper as promised by
the operators IL the mine workers
/ accept a wage cut. Others. however
are laying in coal, thus slightly slim
ulating demand in some communities
Ohio.-Most cities reported a sixty
days supply OF coal at the beginning
] g the strike: some said they have
I taough to last well into the SUM
] mer In addition. 1t was believed that
a plentiful supply of non-union coal
would be available from the Ken
| lucky and West Virginia fields. Co
| iumbus dealers said they wished they
| did not have SO much fuel on hand,
as there would be little demand, they
asserted. Large stores OF coal were
| reported along the railroad right OF
way in the Cleveland district. Con-
Germs in the larger cities of the state
| had 1000 to 100000 tons stored In
readiness for the strike.
| Neither miners nor operators would
hazard a prediction as to the SUNNI ar
price. both insisting that this would
depend entirely on the length OF the
strike.
| :. .COnsumers Had Stocked Up.
| >Illinois.-Because consumers had
the outset had such little effect that
| although 1,400 cars of coal stood on
| the tracks in central Illinois the day
| before the walkout, coal would not
| move. Springfield dealers still have
| some on the tracks and are selling
| at the regular prices. They said the
price would remain the same as long
| as they may sell from the cars, but
| if need of cars forced them to un-
! load and store it and then deliver 1t
! from storage. the price would be IN
creased 81 ton. The present sup
| ply on the tracks would be exhaust
| ed in a day, and there would be no
coal for central Illinois" II factories
| were not stocked well ahead. accord
| ing to 0. G. Scott, secretary OF the
central Illinois coal bureau. who Is
| preparing the statistics the. Illinois
| operators will use in their negotia-
tions.
| and no summer prices" said Mr..
| Scott.
The larger public utilities of the
state are well supplied. but small In
| dependent companies are expected to
suffer if the strike lasts long Two
hundred towns supplied by one COM
| pany had an average supply of ninety
days fuel the second week OF the
| strike; twenty-five supplied by other
| companies had an average supply OF
| two weeks fuel.
| Most central Illinois factories have
| three months supply. and some have
| four months, according to Secretary
Scott. All users Of coal in that dis
| trict were warned in advance and
| have stocked up. he said.
| Retailers and operators OF south
| ern Illinois. including w. K. Kavan-
| augh, president of the Fifth and
Ninth District Coal Operators Asso.
| citation. said that prices would re-
there was seventy-five to ninety
days supply mined. and that summer
/ prices hinged entirely on the settle
ment. 1t was asserted that operators
/ look upon the eight-hour day and
1 five-day week as equivalent to a Is
4
! mean an increase in pricea as would
| raise in wages. A reduction in
! wages would be passed on to the con-
! sumers, dealers said.
Two states Well Supplied. .,
! Michigan.-The majority of public
! utility companies throughout the
/! state have protected themselves with
sufficient fuel to last through what
they think will be the duration OF
the strike. The leading coal deal
| ers in Detroit said that prices. would
! depend upon the length of the strike
| upon action of the Interstate Com
merce Commission relative to freight
rates. and q variety of other factors
| entering into the situation.
\ Wisconsin.-Coal supplies In Wis
consin should last through the strike
even if it extends over several months
| the state department of markets be-
| lieves, basing its assumption on a
| survey made last winter. Edward
| Nordman, commissioner, held that no
| increases in price were warranted on
/ the ground of insufficient supply to
+! meet the demand. The department,
! while having no definite information
/ of present supplies. was definitely of
+; the opinion that they were ample for
! all needs and that there was little