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Show DENIALS MM Ml COiSL F1IKE EXISTS Dealers Declare That the Supply Is Sufficient for Present Needs. PUBLICITY 13 BLAMED Statement Is Made That Cry of Shortage Has Aggravated Ag-gravated Situation. Despite tho fact that it is alleged in many quarters that an acute coal shortage is existing in Salt Lake City at tho present time, the statements are vigorously denied by several prominent coal dealers, who are in a position to r know the exact situation. C. S. Martin of the C. S. Martin Coal & Fuel company, in an interview last night, denied the existence of a .coal famine in this city, and declared that the coal famine complained of by many was solely a creature of their imagination. imagina-tion. He further said that it seemed to be an annual howl from certain coal interests. "As to the situation at the mines' said Mr. Martin, "I know nothing, but 'I do know that we are getting more coal than we did last month, and we are nearer to filling our orders than at any time in the past six weeks. True, we could dispose of more coal if we had it, as we are disposing of our supply from day to day, carting it out to till orders cs fast as we can get it. Publicity Is Blamed. "The situation outside of Salt Lake City may be a bit unfortunate, but that is a matter for the railroads to adjust. The people of Suit Lake City have no need to worry as regards their coal supply. "The publicity given to the possibility possibil-ity of a coal famine has done much to create a situation that made it espe- cmlly hard for a lot of poor people in this city. "Many orders were placed by people with the ready cash who already haa a plentiful supply on hand, some of them with enough to last longer than a month, with the result that the poorer tolkw with but little cash and small orders or-ders were necessarily delayed in receiving receiv-ing coal. Without this publicity of a possible famine, there would not have been a demand by people already supplied, sup-plied, and there would have been coal aplenty to go around. ' ' The coal situation is improving every day, but if there are going to be (-bouts of a famine, of course, we will be swamped with orders and someone f will have to suffer. As an example of the improvement in the situation, today we received eighteen cars, with a variety va-riety of coal, enough to last two davs, and if the railroads will only keep this up, and there is no reason why they bhould not, we will have plenty "of coal all winter. ' ' Views of Woodruff. Another coal dealer interviewed was Llias S. Woodruff. He voiced the sen-t sen-t timents of Mr. Martin, and stated that altogether too much publicity was given to the cries from certain quarters that the railroads were unable to deliver sufficient coal to keep Salt Lake City warm this winter. He also said that while there is no more coal on hand than is necessary to take care of the immediate wants of the people, there is ; sufficient on hand to allay the fears of j famine. ' "The fellow who wanted to raise the: price of coal, ' ' " said Mr. Woodruff, "is the chap who started all this coal famine fam-ine talk. As a result, wo were all stampeded stam-peded with orders, and it was like a run on a bank, especially during the lattPf part of November. However, we withstood the abnormal demand, and after tho stampede had 100 tons left, and on December 1 we started out under un-der normal conditions, and as long an the mines and the railroads do no worse why there is absolutely no cause for wnrrv on the part of anvone in Salt Lake City." No Shortage Here. A. T). Pietson, general Pales agent for tho Utah Kuel eompanv, said that while towns in the outlying districts had suffered from actual shortage. Salt Lake has not even neared the danger point of a coal famine. There was some s-hnrtage, ho said, owing to the famine fcare in November, which caused an avahun'he of orders for prompt delivery from the dealers, but these conditions, he added, have adjusted themselves, and the situation is gett ing better each tkiv. Officials of the Hnmhergrr coal company com-pany said last night thai while there had been a slight shortage here dur-ing dur-ing the past few weeks, the lack of fuel had not come to the point where persons had suffered. ( ond it ions now. t hev mi id, wort' rapidly get t ing bet I er with cadi passing da v.'- A .urge shipment is now on the way to Salt Lake, which, if it arrives on schedule time, will relieve the heavy demand which has grown through the scare of famine. |