The Washington times., 1922-07-28

gested by Secretary Of Commerce
Hoover i'm a recent letter to gov.
ernors of coal producing States.
Garges will endeavOr to- ascer-
tain whether the District viii be
placed on fuel rati0ns next winter.
This action Of the Commissioners,
Il was pointed out, Is merely pre-
cautionary, and Is taken In view Of
possible consequences from the
coal strike.
Washington is threatened by an
Ice famine in case coal shipments
to the District are cut off and the
reserve supply of fuel becomes
exhausted for even one week, local
manufacturers declare. Y
It is declared that there is but
little soft coal in reserve in Wash
ington and that a number of local
ice companies are today running
on a "hand-to-mouth" system, de-
pending upon coal dealers to keep
them in operation.
One Plant Fuelless.
The Home Ice Manufacturing
Company, one Of the largest in the
District, is said to have absolutely
no coal reserve, through lack Of
storage space. The coal consump-
ton Of this plant alone Is fifteen tons
a day. This amount Is delivered
daily to the plant by local dealers
and is used as rapidly as received,
officials Of the company state.
In case of a stoppage in the sup.
ply of soft coal here this plant would
L 1iot al
close, Il is stated, and the supply Of
ice now in storage would probably
be exhausted within a few days.
Officials Of the company declare
they have been assured by their
dealers that soft coal Is still being
receivedS = though in small quantities.
The Chapin-Sacks Manufacturing
Company Is reported to be In slightly
better condition, with a small coal
reserve in the bins.
Effects Felt in Big Plant.
"Our plant is not In such bad
fuel supply for any considerable
length of time would soon put us
in an acute position" an official of
the company declared. we are
already beginning to feel the effect
of the strike in several departments"
The American Ice Company re
ports that the coal situation will
have no effect on its operations un-
less conditions become so bad the
citv's electric power plants are al
fected. as it's local plants have all
been electrified.
Thv terminal cold storage and
ice plant of the Washington Market
Company, which produces zoo tons
daily, operates both by coal and cleo
trtcity, the gas compressors being
run by steam. A small coal reserve
is said to be in the plants bins,
though tying UP Of the coal supply
would soon result In a crippling OF
production. The market company
reports that refrigerator cars are
still coming In with fair regularity
and that the stock is not expected to
have any great effect on the plant
Immediately.
The Washington Ice Manufactur-
ing Company, which supplies much
OF the Georgetown territory, reports
that It's plant has been completely
electrified and is in good condition
to withstand the effects Of cutting
down Of supplies.
Dealers Seek Farley.
Washington coal dealers today
asked the District Commissioners
fer a hearing in regard to the let.
ter sent by Secretary Of Commerce
Herbert Hoover to the governors Of
the fourteen coal-producing States,
advising measures for an equitable
distribution OF fuel consequent of
the mine strike.
The local letter came from the
Coal Merchants Board of Trade, Of
which J. Maury Dove, I., is presi-
dent.
The Hoover communication is
regarded as a first step toward coal
rationing next winter, with n COM
mission appointed for that purpose.
II contained no indication. how.
ever. that the District woul1 be put
under a fuel administration, as In
wartime.
Daniel E. Garges, secretary to
the Commissioners, stated that he
would read the letter at the board
meeting TODAY.
Eyes Of Washingtou's striking
railway shopmen, stationary firemen
and oilers and stationary engineers,
and those Of the Washington Termi.
nal officials were directed hopefully
developments in the local situation
between employers and workers
failed to materialize.
Keeping up our watchful waiting
and all the strikers still out" said
union leaders at Washington Hall,
where the daily meeting was in prog.
ress.
At Alexandria, United States
Marshal Clarence @. Smithers has
sworn in twelve deputies to guard
the properties OF the Richmond,
Fredericksburg and Potomac rail.
road a. Potomac Yards. Previously
Judge n Lawrence Groner, of the
l'rite' "." - court for tho Eastern
f'stris' Virginia. at Rich.
mcrd ''W ssu I an order re.
sia nng the roads striking shop
men from iniurinR or destroying
the company's holdings. The strikers
are not restrained. however, from
plac'n" or" man on picket at stra-