The New York herald., 1922-12-13
DEALER CAN'T MOVE
ALL COAL AVAILABLE
Distribution System Fails
Under Rush to Buy Any
Fuel Offered.
PORT STILL CLOGGED
Storm Conditions Likely to
Cause Further Delay
in Deliveries.
CONSUMER AWAKE NOW
Anthracite Shortage for 1922
46 Per Cent, According to
Federal Figures.
CONSUMER AWAKE NOW

The problem confronting the Fuel
Administration in New York city,
william H. woodin, State Admins
traitor. announced yesterday. is one
of inadequate facilities for emergency
distribution rather than one Of actual
coal shortage.
According to figures prepared for
Mr.. Woodn by Harry t. Peters. Jr., of
his executive staff, until few days
ago no fewer than 200 coal laden
boats. the aggregate cargoes of which
amounted to about 100000 tons, were
af1oat in New York harbor. Some Of
this coal has been awaiting purchasers
and clogging the port since last Sep
tember. Mr.. Peters estimates that 20
per cent. of it is soft coal, 25 per
cent. is anthracite Of buckwheat size,
10 per cent is imported British coal,
and the remaining 40 per cent. is an
thracite of steam sizes (rice, barley
and birdseed).
For weeks, Mr. Woodin said, the Fuel
Administration has been begging dealers
to buy these grades of supplies but they
have insisted that customers would not
accept them and have refused to pur-
chase. AT last moral suasion having
been exhausted. the authorities have
made it obligatory to combine sales of
these substitutes with sales Of the much
coveted anthracite Of domestic sizes.
Since the 25 per cent. order, which be-
came effective Monday, Mr.. Woodin
said. dealers and consumers finally have
walked UP to wha. they should have
Understood and acted upon moAths ago
~ Within the last two or three days
about 10000 tons OF this hitherto de-
spised coal has been absorbed rapidly
by purchase by the dealers to enable
them to meet the terms of the new
order. More Of it probably would have
been absorbed but for the fact that they
lack sufficient delivery facilities TO do
in a week joo that should have been
spread over many days. Now everybody
is ciamoring for either small size anthra-
cite or soft coal. for which nobody
thought he had any use.
The inevitable result Is that no
dealers delivery and distributing or
ganization Is adequate to the sudden de-
mand. No dealer could be expected, the
coal men say, to go to the expense OF
maintaining for fifty-two weeks in the
year distr!butive organization ade-
quate to meet a maximum demand last
ing only q week or two, or lasting even
for period of ten or twelve weeks
There is actually lying in the harbor
now more coal than We have the facil-
tiles to deliver and distribute" said Mr.
Woodin. summarizing the situation.
Storm conditions accompanied by Sc
we're temperatures would impede greatly
the already inadequate delivery facil-
ties That Is why the administration.
was concerned yesterday over report,
II l6 degree temperature in Chicago
accompanied by gales apparently headed
this way. AS a result of acute weather
conditions in Buffalo. Mr.. woodin an
rounced. dealers in that city, beginning
next Monday. will suspend for four days
all coal deliveries except these of an
emergency character for hospitals and
the like. which will require about 5000
tons. Mr. Woodin said there Is not the
slightest danger that New York city
will be forced TO adopt any such ex-
pedient.
"There is not an emergency order
here which we cannot meet at once"
said one of his associates.