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Show COAL SHORTAGE i ON WAY; G2VT. ; SAYS BUY NOW ' . May Be Repetition of 1917-18 Conditions Next Winter Says ! Geological Survey. MINES IDLE WITHOUT ORDERS. "Those Who Delay Ordering . - . Longer May Not Get Their . Fuel Later On. The United States Geological Suite announces from Wellington the proh. ability of another genernl coal short-bro short-bro next fnll nnd winter. Tho nn-I nn-I nbuncement Is bnsed, tho Surrey tates, upon a niitlon-wlde study of conditions In the bituminous Held. Unless steps are tnken nt once, tho Survey says, to placo tho mines upon basis of Increased production thero Is every prospect of a repetition to some depreo of the situation that prevailed pre-vailed In the United States during the winter of 1017-18. I The only wny production con be stim ulated at tho present time, It Is said, Is by placing orders with the mines for coal which "will be needed later on. "Production during tho first live months I of tho year," rends the statement, "fell I B7,i!!)2,000 net tons, or approximately I 25 below production during the llrxt live months nt 11)18. .Mines nre prodtic-I prodtic-I jng coiil now nt tho rnto of from 8,000,- 000 to 8,500,000 tons n.we'ek. An over-I over-I . age output of 10,700,000 tons n week I .nniHt bo mnlntnlncd from .limn 1 tn January-1 next If tho country's cstl-muted cstl-muted needs nf KOO.OOO.OOO tons this I ,'year ure to bo met." I I , EVll of Delayed Orders. I 'At no time during this year has the I ( ' rate nf production npproached the re-I re-I quired tonnage. The tendency on tlu part of buyers to hold off placing their I orders Is limiting production, ns tho mines cannot store conl nt tho point of praductlon, nnd when tho rush of I . orders for tho winter's needs comes ' naxt fall thero Is grave danger thnt the mines, with depleted labor forces and tho probability of less adequate transportation, will be unable to meet ' the dctnnnds. Tho result of such a situation sit-uation would be nn Insufllclent supply I for the requirements of domestic con- jLr W; Burners, public utilities and Industrial ' iers'enerally. ' ' ' "It Is believed that requirements for this year," reads a Survey statement " ." Vucl Adrilnlstrutor Garfield, "will be iout 0110,000,000 tons of bituminous coal, of which approximate!. ',0,000,000 tons hnvte been used from hu lis accumulated accu-mulated last year, leaving COO.000,000 tons to be produced. Of this 500.000,- 000 tons 178,000,000 tons were produc- ed during the first five months, leaving 822,000,000 tons to be produced In tho .remaining 80 weeks, or nn average of 10,700,000 tons a week. ' "Tlius far this year production has keen ut tho rate of 8,200,000 tons n week. In 1018 proitestlon was at the rate of 11,800,000 tons a week. "This production will be difficult of ac-compllshmcnt. ac-compllshmcnt. The capnclty of opcrat-' opcrat-' ;. ' Ing mines at tho present time with labor now on tho payroll Is about 10 lower . j'- than It was Inst year. This deficiency i " may be made up In part or wholly If the mines have orders sufllclent to run '."i ' nem or 8,1 (1")s a wf el unless the threatened exodus of foreign-born labor occurs. it' - - - 1 ' "I appeal most earnestly to tho men and women of America to lend th?lr ! ,K4- ' money to tho government! and to do JQX It now!," |
