August 26, 1922





RECORD   AND   GU^DE





263





REAL   ESTATE   SECTION





Coal Commission Warns of Serious Shortage Next Winter

Gov. Miller Calls Special Session of Legislature for Next Monday to Consider

Measures of Relief Which He Will Propose





NEGOTIATIONS for settlement of the strike in the
anthracite mining district having been broken off local
agencies for establishing priorities, rationing and dis¬
tribution of coal renewed their efforts to ameliorate as far
as possible conditions that will result in privation and hard¬
ships during the coming winter. Because of the serious illness
of Eugenius H. Outerbridge, chairman of the Governor's Coal
Commission, a statement setting forth the very serious state
of affairs was made public by Transit Commissioner LeRoy
T. Harkness, acting for Mr. Outerbridge. In issuing this state¬
ment Mr. Harkness denied that, because of his illness, Mr.
Outerbridge had resigned, but said he would remain chairman
of the present commission until the creation by the Legisla¬
ture of another commission, on recommendation of Governor
Miller, to which, it is expected, greater powers will be granted
than the Governor could give to the existing body. In the
statement, Mr. Harkness says:

"The situation in New York State this fall and winter will
be very acute at the best. Nearly five months of anthracite
coal production has already been lost, and the greatest diffi¬
culty is being experienced in getting through shipments out
of the very reduced supply of bituminous coal. The Governor
has called the Legislature in special session for next Monday,
and legislation will undoubtedly be enacted clothing the New
York State Fuel Administration with all the powers the State
can give it. The benefit of such action will largely be lost
unless the Federal Government on its part promptly con¬
stitutes a strong central agency to secure the coal and get it
to the several States.

"Unless effective and vigorous measures are taken to develop
to the utmost the supply and distribution of coal, especially
anthracite coal. New York faces a coal shortage even worse
than that of the winter of 1917-1918. New York is absolutely
dependent upon anthracite coal to keep warm. The prospect
of winter being so near and the State almost denuded of
anthracite is alarming.

"In this emergency the Coal Commission believes it should
call this matter to the attention of the New York delegation
in Congress and urge upon it vigorous and united effort to
secure immediate action."

Governor Miller last Tuesday issued a call for the Legisla¬
ture to meet in special session at Albany on next Monday to
act on the coal shortage. The Governor will present a definite
plan to the Legislature which is in preparation. It is under¬
stood that he will ask for authority to appoint a permanent
coal administrator, whose duties and powers will be similar
to those delegated to President Garfield, of WilHams College,
who was President 'Wilson's Federal fuel administrator
throughout the war. The new State administrator, it was
said, will decide what street lights, advertising signs, theatres,
etc., must be closed or restricted to conserve coal next winter.

Attention was called to the prediction of the Coal Dealers'
Association that price fixing would have a tendency to send
shipments of coal out of the State.

"I am sure that the State of New York will receive its pro
rata supply of the coal that is mined, based on the consump¬
tion of past years, and I am proceeding on that assumption,"
the Governor replied.

"Would that be taken care of by the Federal Congress?"

"Jurisdiction of the State of New York does not extend into





the anthracite coal fields. The best we can do is to try to
get our share and then see that it is so proportioned that
everybody in the State gets his share."

The Governor said he did not believe that it would be
necessary at any time for public schools or public utilities or
industries to suspend because of the coal shortage, but that
the utmost economy would have to be resorted to.

"The resumption of mining tomorrow would not remove
the emergency. It would only lessen the emergency. There
is bound to be such a shortage of anthracite fuel this winter
as to suspend the operation of the ordinary law of supply
and demand."

Gov. ]\Iiller had a conference on last Wednesday with represen¬
tatives of coal dealers and producers with a view to obtaining first
hand information and co-operation in anticipation of the special
session of the Legislature.

After the conference the Governor outlined the situation in this
fashion:

"There is a general prospect of prompt resumption of mining in
the bituminous fields and they can produce more than the normal
consumption of the country. The anthracite situation is different,
and when mining will be resumed in the anthracite field nobody
seems to know."

The Governor emphasized that the first consideration was fuel
for the householder. After pointing out that the peace overtures
in the anthracite field had failed, the Governor said:

"The immediate problem that we have to deal with is domestic
fuel for the householder. Of course, we can't do much in the way
of distributing it until there is some to distribute.

"We have just had a general discussion of the situation in antici¬
pation of the session of the Legislature. A committee representing
the retailers, a committee representing the wholesalers and a com¬
mittee representing the anthracite producers and one gentleman
representing the bituminous producers were here to give me such
information as they could with respect to the general situation.
Of course, whatever we do, we shall need the co-operation of these
gentlemen."

Up to last Sunday seventeen steamships carrying 110,000
tons of British coal, had arrived in the Port of New York.
Total shipments already booked for delivery are estimated at
fully 1,500,000 tons. Heavy movements are under way also to
Boston, which has already received 96,000 tons, and to Phila¬
delphia.

The total of approximately 215,000 tons of coal which arrived
at the three ports last week compares with imports of 135,000
tons during the entire month of June.

The ships reaching New York last week were chartered at
the beginning of the coal rush at rates ranging from $1.65 to
$2 a ton. The coal, accordingly, was laid down in the port at
a cost of $8.50 to $9.25 a ton, comparing with the prices of
domestic fuel of $9.15 to $10.50 a ton. Much of the coal due
to arrive in the next few weeks represents freight rates
averaging $3 a ton and a total cost of $9 to $10 a ton. These
figures give the reason why the speculation on shipments has
diminished with the settlement of the bituminous coal strike.
It is apparent that the cost of a large part of the imported
coal will approximate the current prices here at the time of
arrival. The chief demand for shipments arises from public
utilities and other concerns which must have supplies and
cannot obtain sufficient quantities at the prevailing prices.