SHORTAGE OF COAL

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 288, 9 November 1925, Page 7

SHORTAGE OF COAL

PLIGHT OF AMERICA

COLD WAVE EXPERIENCED

(By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) Received November 9, 9.55 a.m. NEW YORK, Nov. 8. The coal strike cabled which started in July last, and which lias now worked through various phases and ultimately como to affect chiefly the anthracite miners, has reached a crucial stage, and tliero is danger of real hardships. With tho first cold spell the coal dealers, taking advantage of the reported shortage of hard coals, have increased the prices Coal normally selling at 14 dollars per ton is now bringing 23 dollars, and whero sold in hundredweight quantities 30 dollars per ton. The Health Commissioner, Air Alanaghan, has started the prosecution of various dealers in New York City who, taking advantage of the situation, are flooding the markets with inferior coals and inferior substitutes for coal, these bringing high prices. Senator Copeland recently appeared to President Coolidgo to take action leading to a settlement of tho strike, but White House intimated that presidential interference was not yet called for, there being no national emergency. Air John Hammond, chairman of tho Coal Commission, informed the President that substitutes such as bituminous oil and wood would safely carry the people over the present winter, declaring that the use of soft coals had already brought a saving of 4,000,000 dollars to the .people, but he admitted that there was only two months’ supply |of 'anthracite available.

The United Aline Workers of Americt have announced that they are ready to continue the strike through the winter of 1926 to win a just cause against mine operators. Governor Pinchot, of Pennsylvania, the centre of tho anthracite field, yesterday asked the grand jury to start an investigation of the strike, ostensibly for the purpose of compelling the miners and operators, to arbitrate regarding the dispute. Tho meteorological report to-day stated that a cold wave, which has brought the thermometer to zero in North Dakota, is sweeping eastward, Chicago reporting a steady drop in the temperature, and the wave is expected to reach the Atlantic seaboard tonight or to-morrow. —A. and N.Z. cable.