THE USE OF WOOD FOR FUEL. 37 
plement the regular supply where no other agencies exist to take the 
whole field. Wood handled by them is usually sold at cost. 
In some States a grant of specific power is necessary before a 
municipality can engage in the fuel business. In many cases in the 
eastern United States last winter this fact was a serious obstacle 
which prevented cities and towns from taking active relief measures 
to keep the people warm and supply power to essential commercial 
enterprises. In two States, Maine and Mississippi, public fuel yards 
are specifically authorized by law. The Mississippi law, approved 
April 21, 1918, authorizes municipal wood*and coal yards.1_ The 
essential features of this law are of especial interest in view of the 
country- -wide effort being made to provide SEN a fuel shortage 
in the future. By this law— 
(a) The authorities of every municipality are authorized to establish and 
operate wood and coal yards until one year after the close of the war, for the 
purpose of supplying the inhabitants with fuel. 
(0) A municipality which establishes and operates a wood yard or coal 
yard has full power to create, fill, discontinue, or abolish all such offices or 
employments in connection therewith as may be deemed necessary or proper; 
to fix and pay salaries; to cut, purchase, transport, sell, and deliver wood or 
coal necessary for providing the inhabitants with fuel; from time to time to 
fix the selling prices and the terms of sale; and to make and enforce such rules 
and regulations as may be necessary for the carrying out of the act. 
(c) The necessary funds are to be set aside out of the general municipal 
fund, or borrowed at interest on the credit of the municipality. 
(d@) In order to borrow money for this purpose the municipality is required 
to publish in local papers, for a period of ten days, a full statement of its inten- 
tions, stating the sum needed and rate of interest to be paid. In case a protest 
signed by at least 25 per cent of the qualified electors of the municipality is 
filed before the expiration of the period of advertisement, the question must 
then be submitted in an election requiring for passage the approval of a majority 
of the qualified electors. 
Similar action by other States is desirable. 
WOOD FUEL RESERVES. 
There is considerable difficulty in getting wood into suitable form 
for fuel and transporting it to the market on short notice. It is 
only a matter of good business foresight for those communities 
which have the wood around them to see that some time during the 
season a sufficient supply is cut and hauled to where it may be easily 
available as a reserve for the winter season. The time to cut it is at 
any slack time during the year, preferably in the spring, so that it 
will have time to season thoroughly by the next winter. 
1Although Mississippi is the first State to respond with a law on the subject in the 
present emergency, it is not actually the first to pass such legislation. As early as 1903 
Maine passed a law allowing cities to establish public yards for sale of wood, coal, and 
other fuel without financial profit. The Maine law has been sustained by the highest 
court in the State and also by the United States Supreme Court. 
