National Affairs: Briquets

The Bureau of Mines issued a bulletin on substitute fuels—coke, low volatile bituminous coal, oil, briquets.—The oil fuel installation is rather expensive and briquets are not generally obtainable in great quantity, but the Bureau asserted that, although the technique of firing is somewhat different, coke and low volatile bituminous coal can be burned successfully and efficiently in anthracite furnaces. Francis R. Wadleigh, Federal Fuel Distributor, held in Manhattan a meeting with State Governors and other representatives of the anthracite-using states. Resolutions were passed pledging state cooperation with the Federal Fuel Administration. The remark was passed by Governor Brown of New Hampshire that the people wanted coal, not resolutions.

The Coal Commission issued a report telling how the price of coal is boosted in times of fuel famine by the wholesalers. These middlemen serve in ordinary times as selling agencies for small mines that cannot afford individual sales forces. Competition keeps profits well within reason. But in times of stress they speculate, buying from one another and each adding his profit. As a result there may be four or five middlemen’s profits added to a single consignment of coal. The Commission advised retailers not to pay prices high enough to permit pyramiding of this sort. It is possible that measures may be attempted to prevent unlimited reconsignment of coal.

* Briquets—a brick-shaped mass of coal dust mixed with pitch.