THE HOUSEHOLD FUEL AND LIGHTING ORDER. [To THE EDITOR OF
THE " SPECTATOR."]
SIR,—I am obliged to the " Local Fuel Overseer " for his letter in your issue of the 17th ult., and I trust that his estimate of eighteen tons of coal may fall to my share. In the Times sum- mary of the Order, which was my only source of information when I wrote to you, it says " Additional allowances may be granted for aged and infirm persons, &c." " These allowances cannot be made except for good cause shown, and only to a very limited extent." I applied to my doctor for a certificate both ou my own account, and on that of another member of my household, who feels the cold intensely, and who has been told by a specialist that it is of the utmost importance for her to avoid chills, or chronic deafness may be the result. My doctor in his answer says : "I shall giye you a paper to show to the Controller, and try your luck with it, but I fear no one will be listened to in this matter." If there was a real shortage of coal, there would be nothing to be said; but so far as one can learn, the dearth in great measure is the result of the miners' lave for little work and much pay, as the output per man is now smaller than years ago, when there were fewer labour-saving appliances; and it has been stated that if they worked their full time there would be an increase of more than twenty million tons in a year. The Government expect their rationing scheme to effect a saving of eight million tone.
Tho American system of fuel rationing seems to be fairer than ours, though possibly it might not be applicable here on account of central heating being rather rare. I certainly should not wish for so high a temperature as 68 degrees; ten degrees lower would amply content me; but if we have a severe winter like the last two, I fear it is more likely to be somewhere in the region of the
" RATIONING IN AMERICA.
The United States, which, like ourselves, is threatened with coal scarcity, is setting to work with vigour to prepare a household
ration scheme to come into operation for winter supplies. Its outstanding feature is that only so much coal will be allowed to a householder as is scientifically found sufficient to heat his house to 68deg. This plan has proved an unqualified success in Phila- delphia. The Official Bulletin of July 8 describes the scheme as 'drastic, but no more so than conditions demand.' No one will he deprived of coal actually needed for heating, but no one will be allowed fuel for waste or extravagance. • The scheme will he worked through local bureaux which will exercise a censorship ever every order for coal received by any dealer, each order being compared with a figure obtained by very simple yet effective formulte showing the rating of the house where the coal is to be used. There will be actual inspection of all doubtful cases and a checking through inspectors of statements by householders as to coal stocks and requirements. The bureaux will refuse to furnish any householder with more coal than a scientific analysis ehows is necessary if the requisite care is taken in the heating of the house. Prosecution will follow any attempt to get extra supplies by deceit or misrepresentation. It will be noted that in its basic principle the United States household coal rationing scheme differs from that of England, where the allowance is determined by space, and from that of France, where it is based on the number of persons in the household."
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