Evening star., 1922-07-29

Secretary of Commerce Hoover. chair
man Of the Presidents coal distriou-
ton committee, Is expected to send
a letter today to the District COM
missioners outlining the plan OF the
committee for securing coal supply
for the District of Columbia. MT.
Hoover Is expected also to urge upon
the Commissioners appointment OF a
local coal distribution committee to
insure the government and public
utilities of the District an adequate
supply of fuel.
Washington is in the grip OF a
serious anthracite coal situation, which
promises to linger for at least two
months, according to a survey maze
today among local coal men.
There is virtually no hard coal in
the city outside of pea coal, which.
MANY dealers declare is just running
ont One dealer expresses the convic-
ton that Washington will receive no
newly mined anthracite coal before
Thanksgiving.
Conservative Buying Urged.
While coal dealers, both retail and
wholesale, admit that the situation
is acute, they claim that prevailing
conditions will only be irritated by
the public becoming panicky and try
ing to play safe by placing orders for
more coal than they actually need
and making connections with dozen
or more dealers.
The soft coal situation, according
to Secretary Lewis of the Coal Deal.
ers' Board of Trade, is pretty fair.
and Mr.. Lewis says that unless the
soft coal supply is entirely cut on
all dependent upon it will be ade-
quately taken care of.
F. RI. Wadleigh, director Of the coal
division of the Department Of Com
merce, said today that coal priority
for the District of Columbia had been
discussed at a meeting of the general
coal distribution committee last
Thursday. He added that there was
no question the District of Columbia
would be amply taken care of in the
matter of coal, at least such coal as
is necessary to maintain the federal
establishments, the departments Of
the District government and the local
public utilities.
The statement was made at the
Department of Commerce today that
no attempt will be made to appoint
fuel administrator in the broad
sense of the term, but that the coal
trict TO be suggested to the Commls-
sioners will be expected to work
hand in hand with the federal fuel
distribution committee, of which
Secretary Hoover is chairman. 1t was
Indicated that the entire matter OF
appointment and supervision over tne
local fuel distribution committee
would be left to the District Commits
sionerS.
Wants Fuel Distributor.
In discussing local fuel needs Com
missioner Oyster indicated today that
he would be in favor of the appoint
ment of a fuel distributor for Wash
ington If developments warrant 1t.
1t is the Commissioners idea that
if coal is going to be scarce this fall
and winter as a result of the strike
it would be wise to have some one
to see that the fuel which reaches this
city is distributed generally.
Daniel &. Garges. secretary to the
Commissioners communicated with
the Department of Commerce today to
f1nd out what suggestions that bureau
might have to offer to guide the
course of the city government. He
was told information would be forth
coming in a day or two as to what
the department would have to sug-
gest.
w. W. Bowie, agent for the Penn
sylvania and number Of prominent
railroads, reports the receipt OF about
twenty-five cars q day of soft coal
with occasionally a few cars of hard
coal. The normal arrivals at this
time of the year Is about seventy
Ave cars Of both kinds Of coal.
Mr.. Bowie assures that the govern
ment fuel yard at South Capitol and
/ street IL filled with its surplus quota
and that the Potomac Electric Power
Company and Gas Light Company are
daily receiving all they need.
supply Outlook Gloomy.
silas A. Condict. president OF the
condict Coal Company, who leaves to-
night on one Of his periodic trips to
the coal mining districts, is one OF
the dealers who believes Washington
will receive no newly mined hard coal
before Thanksgiving.
"The hard coal district or the an
thracite, in northeestern Pennsyivania