The New York herald., 1922-12-19
.STRAUS SEEKS STATE
FUND TO
BUY COAL FOR NEEDY
Senator VIII Ask Gov. Mil
ler to Certify Emergency
Appropriation.
WOULD SELL AT COST
Fuel Administration Office
Argues Money Can't
Add to Supply.
TO OPEN RELIEF POSTS
Forty Stations Will Handle
Anthracite i'm Lots Of 200
Pounds.
TO OPEN RELIEF POSTS

State Senator Nathan Straus, Jr
declared yesterday that within a day
or two he would appeal to Gov. Miller
to certify TO the Secretary of State
that such an emergency exists in the
anthracite shortage as to warrant the
State in using the s10.000000 appro-
priated at the extraordinary session OF
the Legislature.
when the Governor officially de-
clares the existence Of such an emer-
gency" said Senator Straus. that will
enable the Fuel Administrators imme-
diately to buy coal and sell 1t in small
lots at the carload price to persons
who are in need.
The Fuel Administrators in his let
ter to me calls attention to the fact
that he is working with the Mayors
committee of women in an effort to
relieve distress. The Mayors COM
mittee has cooperated generously with
the Straus Coal Committee, but ii lacks
funds for doing work on large scale
When the Governor certifies to the
rninistrator will have at his disposal
$10.000,000 to buy and sell coal. This
coal need not. except in rare instances
be given away"
him job to help out in the Office of the
State Fuel Administration Senator Straus
said we want action. not words. II
Mr.. Woodin attacked the efficiency OF
offering, him job as state Senator"
Lack of Coal. Not Money.
The State Administrator had gone tc
Pennsylvania yesterday tc hurry along
New York's coal al,otments. Mr.
Woodin's staff associates and some OF
the borough Deputy Fuel Administra-
tors. however. thought II highly i'm
probable that Gov Miller would gran,
Senator Strauss appeal. Even s10,-
100000 OF the States money. they said
could not create any more coal than Is
being mined. The emergency is not due
to lack Of money but to shortage of coal.
IL the State should undertake to 20 into
the coal business II would have to buy
its supplies from the independent COM
panies. as the output Of the "old line
corporations--known as company coal
lis all contracted for iE advance and
Is taken away for distribution immedl-
ately on arrival.
II the State started IN buying 'inde-
pendent COAL II was explained. II would
tend to force a runaway market" and
higher prices. For the state to go into
the business. ii was contended. would
neither expedite rail deliveries nor local
distribution, which now are In the
hands Of men who have not only the
best dealing with sucn q situation. a
situation which already Is being handled
as efficiently and as economically as II
can be.
In line with the relief Senator Straus
urges was the announcement that the
Fuel Administration has perfected Its
plan to establish. probably by to-mor-
row. forty coal relief stations through
out the city at which domestic onthra
cite will be sold in lots not exceeding
200 pounds at probable fixed price OF
20 cents a hundredweight. which would
be at a rate OF s14 a. short ton.
The stations will be established at
the yards of various cooperating deaf
ers. fourteen to be in Manhattan. four
teen In Brooklyn and twelve In The
Bronx.
Must Furnish Delivery.
Coal sold from these stations will be
anthracite. largely. IL not exclusively.
OF the stove and chestnut sizes. None
OF the so-caned, substitutes. such as
bucl<wheat or soft coal will he handled.
The yards were being stocked with coal
Yesterday to meet this trade. Pending
the completion Of that task Arthur s.
Iearoyd. Deputy Fuel Administrator for
the greater city, withheld addresses OF
the stations. which will be published
later. Purchasers from these stations
must furnish their own delivery. Ar
rangements have been made with large
dealers TO keep continuous supply.
The number Of carloads Of steam size
anthracite reported at New Jersey tide
water points yesterday was So7 as com
pared with 55l last Saturuay' WHICH
was cited as proof OF the larger ship
ments now coming to this point. The
I,ehigh Valley Railroad Company is
sued a statement showing that anthra-
cite mined along its lines between Sep
tember 5. when the strike ended. and
December f6, inclusive, totalled 3.56s.-
4e4 tons. an increase OF 302.07i tons
as compared with the same time in
1920. and 643.1e7 tons more than for
the same period last year.
While the Fuel Administration well
coined these figures. the public was
cautioned that mo Increase IN anthra-
cite shipments can diminish the 40 per
cent. shortage which exists In the do
nestle anthracite sizes. shortage
which Is likely TO be nearer so per
cent before January is finished" The
use of substitutes will continue to be
imperative.