The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1946-01-17
APPEAL TO COAL
ADMINISTRATOR IN
FUEL CRISIS HERE
Local Dealers Report Coal Stock
Is Exhausted; No Immediate
Relief In Prospect
Return OF Cold Weather Adds
To Complications Resulting
From Fuel Scarcity

Faced with a fuel crises which
finds the bins of many Bluffton
householders virtually empty, coal
dealers here have appealed to Re-
gional Coal Administrator, George
Kisker of Cincinnati for relief.
Kisker is said to have under his
direction the ALLEGATION of coal
shipments in this area.
Until Wednesday morning, how
ever, there had been little prospect
for anything more than the most
temporary relief. Dealers here said
that in reply to their appeals two
cars of mine run coal were allotted
to Bluffton. However, to obtain
these cars dealers stated, they were
obliged to agree to cancellation of
shipments of higher grade coal.
Mayor Appeals
Meanwhile Mayor w. A. Howe ap-
pealed to residents to conserve coal
as much as possible and not ask for
additional deliveries from dealers un-
til absolutely necessary.
The current coal crises is as SER
ious as any experienced here during
the war and the situation was aggra-
waited by cold wave of moderate in
tensity which covered this district the
first of the week.
Coal yards of local commercial
dealers were cleaned bare at the end
of last week and current delivery
prospects are so uncertain that fears
were expressed that many house
holders may run short of fuel.
Only one local dealer expected any
coal soon, and his delivery promise
from the mine provided for only one
car sometime within the next week.
With the demand mounting daily,
one car will hardly make an impress
sion in local fuel famine conditions.
Domestic Users Short
Domestic users appear to be The
principal sufferers in the prevailing
shortage conditions, with Bluffton
industrials and schools reporting
sufficient fuel on hand for the i'm
mediate future.
At the municipal light and power
plant, which uses from IL to IA tons
daily, the present supply is sufficient
for at least three weeks, and ad-
ditional shipments are scheduled to
arrive soon.
The Page Dairy Co. and the
Central Ohio Light and Power Co,
also have coal enough for the rest
of January. Bluffton public schools
are in no immediate danger of run
ming short of fuel, and the same
situation is true at Bluffton college,
Informal Rationing
Buttons coal supply gradually
has been getting tighter over the
last several weeks, and informal
rationing controlled by the dealers
has beeA in effect for some time, to
be certain that those who need coal
are getting it. Deliveries in lots OF
one ton or less have been the rule
and under that method there are
many persons with only few days
supply of fuel on hand in face of the
critical shortage that appears to be
developing.
This winters coal deliveries tc
dealers were to have been appor.
toned to so per cent of last years
supply, but so far dealers say they
have been able to get coal on 6
program running closer to 65 pei
cent than to 80.
Bluffton dealers said every effort
is being made to obtain more coal
but that neither they nor the con
sumers can be assured what kind o.
coal will be delivered. "The publ,
will have to accept what coal il
available" the dealers said.
To conserve supplies now avail
able, the public is asked to shut of
heat from unused rooms and t,
reduce living quarters to th'
minimum.