20 



The Florists^ Review 



May 17, 1917. 



PROBLEM OF GETTING A FUEL SUPPLY 



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THE SCARCITY OF COAL. 



When It Should Be Plentiful. 



Can you buy any coal — and get it de- 

 livered? It' you can, it is no flattery to 

 say that you are a man of some influence. 

 While peojjle are clamoring for an op- 

 ])ortunity to procure tlieir supply of fuel 

 for next winter, the dealers are doling 

 it out in tiny apportionments that 

 scarcely suffice for the most urgent pres- 

 ent needs. It is of no avail to remind 

 the dealers that this is the season when 

 coal ought to be most abundant. Neither 

 is it of any avail to tell them that "the 

 nation," according to some lover of 

 figures, "has enough coal east of the 

 Hocky mountains to last it upward of 

 .■?,000 years, and tlie mines have, ap- 

 ])arently, a productive capacity of far 

 more than 150,000,000 tons per year in 

 excess of what the people are going to 

 need." 



The coal journals tell us that "the 

 rising price tendencies on coal are 

 alarming the government, the consumers 

 and the producers alike." Florists and 

 other users of fuel would ])robably not 

 be ashamed to confess that they have 

 been alarmed for some time. However 

 optimistic they may be, their optimism 

 feeds no boilers. Yet they may be en- 

 couraged, rather than further depressed, 

 by the knowledge that the government 

 and the mine operators now are sharing 

 in the alarm. If the government and 

 the operators realize the seriousness of 

 the situation so fully as to act in unison 

 and with sufficient energy, the trouble 

 may be somewhat relieved. Let us hope 

 so, and try to be of good clieer. 



A Bitter Disappointment. 



One of the most disconcerting aspects 

 of the matter is, that the clouds of dis- 

 aster are thickest just when they 

 were expected to disai)pear. The gloom 

 seems to be untimely, unnatural and 

 awe-inspiring, like total darkness at 

 noon. Although, in normal circum- 

 stances, fuel would be cheapest and 

 most plentiful at this season of the year, 

 tlie conditions now are reversed. In the 

 bitter cold of Avinter the florist 's one 

 comforting reflection was: "If I can 

 just worry along for a while, then the 

 mild weather will come, Avith an abun- 

 dance of chea]) fuel, so that I can fill my 

 bins for the next winter. Bins — yes, I'll 

 build more liins and fill them all. I'll 

 never be caught again." Alas! How 

 sadly he has been disappointed! 



Searching for Causes. 



There is not much that is new in the 

 su])])0sed cause of the scarcity of coal, 

 tliough some new elements, such as the 

 war, have their bearings on the case. 

 It is chiefly the same old story — only 

 much worse — of shortage of cars and 

 labor. In some localities, we are told, 

 the ])roportion of availal)le cars is only 

 about thirty ]»er cent of the ordinary 

 car supply at this season. "One vital 

 cause of this depletion of cars," say 

 some of the authorities, "is the subtrac- 

 tion of coal cai's from the coal trade to 

 engage in the carriage of pig iron and 



steel ])roducts, lumber, cement, automo- 

 biles, sand and broken stone." 



The lack of laborers at the mines can 

 be readily appreciated, since a similar 

 difficulty exists in many other lines of 

 trade. In the various coal districts it 

 is estimated that from fifteen to thirty- 

 five per cent of the laborers have de- 

 serted the mines and connected them- 

 selves with other industries. One of the 

 principal reasons for this loss of men, 

 it is stated, is that the operators have 

 not been able to give them steady em- 

 ployment because the mines have been 

 closed for lack of cars. The men sought 

 more regular work elsewhere. 



Finding a Scapegoat. 



If that is correct, it would thus ap- 

 pear that the inadequacy of the means 

 of transportation is the immediate cause 



Tlie Kdltor Is plep«ed 

 'When a Reader 

 presents bis Ideas 

 on any subject treated ic 



t^Jtl^ 



As experience is the best 

 teacher, so do we 

 learn fastest by an 

 exchanse of experiences. 

 Many valuable points 

 are brought out 

 by discussion. 



Oood penmanship, spellinjT and 

 trrammar. though desirable, are not 

 necessary. Write as you would talk 

 when doing your best. 



WK SHALX, BE GLAD 

 TO HSAR FROM TOU 



of most of the trouble. Probably, how- 

 ever, the railroad companies can easily 

 pass the blame along to some other 

 scapegoat. 



As a natural consequence — or is it 

 entirely natural?— of existing condi- 

 tions, prices still are soaring. They are 

 lianicky and uncertain — uncertain ex- 

 cept in the one particular that they 

 show no sign of dropping. "The smoke- 

 less market," it is said, "was back May 

 1 to what it was February 1." But the 

 ])rices February 1 were too miscella- 

 neous to be a definite basis of compari- 

 son. Other bituminous coals are climb- 

 ing. The prices of anthracite, as far as 

 j.ublished, seem to include the cus- 

 tomary monthly advance of 10 cents per 

 ton, ])ius some other extras, such as "a 

 '2'} cents per ton increase to cover the 

 concessions recently made to the min- 

 ers. ' ' 



Is There a Remedy at Hand? 



As to the possible remedies, it is well 



known, of course, that the Federal 

 Trade Commission is conducting an in- 

 quiry, with the control of prices as the 

 final object in view. And multitudes of 

 suffering people fervently wish success 

 to the commission's labors. 



The mine operators, on their part, are 

 proposing that "such miners as wish to 

 enlist in the army shall be allowed to do 

 so, but shall be returned with a full mil- 

 itary status to the coal mines to do their 

 duty there. ' ' The operators are also 

 suggesting that ' ' conditions be returned 

 to normal by the return of coal cars to 

 the coal trade." 



Not only is the Federal Trade Com- 

 mission carrying on an investigation, 

 as already stated, but the Council of 

 National Defense also is giving prac- 

 tical attention to the subject, acting 

 through the committee on coal produc- 

 tion. Of course it is not the aim of this 

 committee to expedite the movement of 

 coal for war purposes only, without re- 

 gard to the ordinary requirements of 

 the public, since the successful prosecu- 

 tion of the war depends largely on the 

 general prosperity of the country. But 

 the committee intimates that a certain 

 amount of regulation and restriction of 

 the distribution of coal may become 

 necessary, for the greatest good of all 

 concerned. 



Begnlating Coal Distribution. 



A warning of such a possible neces- 

 sity was issued recently by Francis S. 

 Peabody, of Chicago, chairman of the 

 committee referred to. He says: "If 

 the demand continues to increase it 

 may be necessary that active steps be 

 taken to confine the distribution and 

 use of coal to those activities which are 

 more nearly vital to the welfare and 

 protection of the nation." Mr. Pea- 

 body continues: "We believe the first 

 essential toward an increased production 

 of coal is a close cooperation between 

 mine employer and mine employee, and 

 the United Mine Workers of America 

 and the mine operators in several dis- 

 tricts have i)ledged their services. 



' ' The total production of coal 

 througliout the country has been seri- 

 ously curtailed by difficulties in trans- 

 ])ortation service and unequal distribu- 

 tion of cars. We urge upon the opera- 

 tors that they pledge themselves to load 

 all cars obtainable in the shortest time 

 after they become available, and that 

 they urge their customers to release 

 these cars at the earliest possible date. 

 If it is found that in any districts sur- 

 plus coal is obtainable at this time over 

 and above the actual needs, it should be 

 divided as equally as possible and stored 

 in the bins of the ultimate consumer." 



Boonville, Ind.— Under an agreement 

 with the Chamber of Commerce, Ernest 

 Lutz has disposed of 1,000,000 tomato 

 and cabbage plants, at cost. Realizing 

 the trend of conditions, Mr. Lutz last 

 year began making preparation for the 

 spring drive against the high cost of 

 living. This is ten times as many plants 

 as Mr. Lutz ever disposed of i» any one 

 season. 



