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October 27, 1917 RECORD AND GUIDE 537 BUILDING MANAGEMENT DUTY OF EVERY CITIZEN IS TO CONSERVE COAL Shortage of Fuel Might be Lessened Were Proper Methods of HandUng AppHed in Systematic Manner THE development of the coal situa¬ tion during the past few weeks should be a matter of grave concern to every thinking man in the country, and cause even the thoughtless to pause and consider what the "signs of the times" portend in this particular field. The prodigality that attends the con¬ sumption of coal in ordinary every-day practice would indicate that the thought is firmly imbedded in the public mind that nature's supply of this commodity is inexhaustible, and that the only rea¬ son for scarcity is that labor trouble, car shortage, unusual demand, or some similar reason has prevented the nor¬ mal supply being brought to market. While these are the true reasons as applied to the immediate present, it is wise to view the subject in a broader sense. The annual normal coal production in the United States is more than 500,000,- 000 tons, and if the present increasing rate of production continues the total available supply in this country will be exhausted in a little more than 100 years, while the total British supply will be exhausted in considerably less time. Many foreign countries depend upon the United States for coal. The lack of this necessity in Italy today and the impossibility of supplying the needs of the country will not only cause in¬ tense suffering and hardship during the coming winter, but is today seriously impeding the progress of the Italian army, because of the lack of munitions and the inability of the factories to obtain fuel with which to continue manufacturing. Coal in Argentine is selling at more than $100 a ton. Similar conditions pre¬ vail in many other countries. In our own country munition manufacturers in some sections have been obliged to sus"pend or curtail operations on account of the shortage of fuel. Manifestly, the cost of coal to the consumer will increase continuously as each suceed- ing year further depletes our fixed and limited supply, and brings the world nearer to the approach of the exhaus¬ tion of the total available supply. It requires no seer, therefore, to realize that even if every one could get all the coal desired at what might be con¬ sidered a reasonable price, it is incum¬ bent upon every one to use as little coal as possible, to eliminate waste in every conceivable way and to conserve the supply in nature's storehouse. This urgent necessity for conservation brings forcibly to the attention the amazing waste that accompanies the burning of coal as fuel. This waste reaches its highest proportions in the vast number of heating plants of all kinds, and although somewhat reduced in power boilers, owing to the higher rate of combustion maintained and better methods of firing, is still of startling proportions. In heating plants under conditions ordinarily prevailing fully 50 per cent, of the 12,000 to 13,500 B. t. u. (British thermal units) con¬ tained in each pound of coal is wasted and yields no return whatever. This loss is due largely to improper and insufficient air supply. According to the findings of the engineers of the Bureau of Mines, as recorded in one of their bulletins, a properly regulated air supply over the fire is essential for the economical combustion of coal, no matter what rate of combustion is main¬ tained. A further reason for the un¬ usual heat losses in all styles of heating plants lies in the fact that a heating plant is designed to heat a building in zero weather in our latitude and in weather far below zero in northern sec¬ tions of our country. The average winter weather in any given locality is always 30^ to 50" higher than the lowest temperature for which the heating plant is designed. Hence the heating plant has a much larger grate area than is necessary for mild winter weather, and it will there¬ fore burn too much coal and give off too much heat unless the air supply under the grate is checked, thereby re¬ stricting the air supply, which, as above stated, under most favorable conditions, would be insufficient for complete com¬ bustion. This condition naturally leads to great waste. Each pound of coal can give off 12,000 B. t. u. to 13,500 B. t. u., but when the air supply is checked so that the fire¬ box temperature runs down as low as is practicable for the maintenance of any real fire that same pound of coal develops and gives out only 4,000 B t. u., that is, it rots and gives less than a third of its value. This condition of operation, which prevails universally in all heating plants, emphasizes still more the demand for means of providing a properly regulated air supply over the fire. While the problem of combustion efficiency has engaged the attention of engineers for many years in efforts to overcome this tremendous waste, it is still true that little progress had been made until the last year or two, and the oft-repeated failures have retarded to a great extent the acceptance and adop¬ tion of the means now available for the elimination in a marked degree of the appalling loss of energy that has here¬ tofore been accepted as unavoidable. Darius Green's flying machine was a standing joke long before the earliest recollection of the "oldest inhabitant," yet today man sails through the air with ease and security. Jules Verne's dream is another in¬ stance of ideas coming to fruitage. Even S. B. Morse, with his telegraph, met with ridicule and rebuff from the "wise men" of his time. Today millions of miles of wire encircle the globe, over mountain and under seas, carrying the messages of war and commerce. It is the duty of. every citizen to conserve coal. Dr. Garfield has said: "The man who wastes coal today is an enemy of mankind." In concrete figures the adoption of the methods now available in that field of coal consumption, to which these methods can be easily applied, would effect an annual saving in the United States alone of 20,000,000 to 30,000,000 tons, or $100,000,000 to $15,000,000, each year. Each individual coal consumer should take immediate steps toward do¬ ing his part in eff'ecting this economy. WAR STAMP TAXES. Title Company Prepares Data of Inter¬ est to Real Estate Market. ""PHE following data has been pre- -*■ pared by the Title Guarantee & Trust Company relative to the war stamp taxes, for the conveniences of those interested in the real estate and building fields : 1. The provisions in relation to the War Stamp Taxes take effect December 1, 1917. 2. The following stamp taxes affect the business of the Company. (a) Conveyances. The tax is to be figured only on the equity over encum¬ brances and relates only to realty sold. Therefore gifts, conveyances to dum¬ mies and other transfers not relating to or carrying out a sale need not be stamped. Exchanges and barter must be treated as sales, and stamps affixed for fair values of the equities passing. Wliere a purchase money mortgage is given back to the seller, the mortgage should be mentioned in the deed and then the tax need be figured only on the equity above the purchase money mort¬ gage. Amount of tax, 50 cents on considera¬ tion between $100 and $500; and 50 cents for each additional $500. This is equivalent to a tax of one- tenth of one per cent on the equity. No stamps on mortgages. (b) Bonds, to secure mortgage in¬ debtedness or other bonds to secure indebtedness and each renewal thereof. Each-agreement extending time of in¬ debtedness must be stamped like an original bond under the provision re¬ lating to renewal. The stamps should be affixed to the counterpart of the ex¬ tension agreement retained by the creditor or mortgage holder and a no¬ tation of the fact that this counterpart is stamped should be made on the one delivered to the debtor or owner of the premises. Amount of tax 5 cents on each $100 of face value, or sum for which a penal bond is conditioned. (c) Collateral Bonds on mortgages, surety bonds and any other bonds not given to secure indebtedness to be stamped 50 cents. (d) Powers of Attorney, 25 cents each. (e) Promissory Notes and drafts or checks payable in future, 2 cents for each sum not exceeding $100 and 2 cents for each additional $100 or fraction thereof. (f) Capital Stock. On each original issue 5 cents on each $100 of face value or fraction thereof, represented by each certificate of stock and 5 cents on each share of stock issued without face value, unless the actual value is in ex¬ cess of $100 per share, in which case, the tax shall be 5 cents on each $100 of actual value or fraction thereof repre¬ sented by each certificate. The stamps on original issues shall be attached to the stock bonds and not the certificates. On all transfers of stock, including each delivery, and including each mem¬ orandum of transfer or sale, 2 cents on each $100 of face value or fraction thereof; or, where stock is without par value, 2 cents on each share unless the actual value is in excess of $100 per share, in which case, the tax shall be 2 cents on each $100 of actual value or fraction thereof. This tax does not apply to deliveries as collateral secur¬ ity for money loaned nor to deliveries to brokers for sale. Stamps are to be placed upon the certificates or agreements of sale. (g) Proxies for voting at elections or meetings 10 cents each. 3. Stamp taxes are to paid by the person who signs or issues the taxable instrument or sells the property cov¬ ered thereby. The validity of the in¬ strument is not affected, but the person who signs or issues an instrument, with¬ out the full amount of stamps thereon and the person who accepts such an in¬ strument are declared to be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall pay a fine of not more than $100 for each offense. 4. Stamps are to be cancelled by writ¬ ing thereon the initials of the person using the same and the date so that the same may not again be used and the Commissioner of Internal Revenue may prescribe additional methods for can¬ cellation. 5. Policies of title insurance and of the Bond & Mortgage Guarantee Com¬ pany are not to be stamped. Such poli¬ cies, however, are taxed under title V of the Act beginning November 1, 1917. RECORD AND GUIDE IS IN ITS FIFTIETH YEAR OF CONTINUOUS PUBLICATION.