Comparative statement of "Contingent, equipment," 1913

Comparative statement of "Coal and transportation, Supplies and Accounts."

Comparative statement of "Coal and transportation, 1913."

Mr. ROBERTS. Would not "clerical service" be more than classified? Clerical service might be something outside of the civil service. The CHAIRMAN. It is understood as civil service.

Admiral CowIE. They could make that clerical, drafting, etc. That arrangement would be very satisfactory to me.

The CHAIRMAN. Then coal and transportation. There is where you come to coal and transportation. You get from equipment $4,800,000. That was the amount appropriated. They turn the whole of coal and transportation over to you, do they not? Five million dollars was what was appropriated last year.

Admiral CowIE. We are asking for the same amount.

Mr. ROBERTS. We are asking for the same amount. That is a different bureau. Supplies and Accounts only get $4,800,000.

The CHAIRMAN. He gives $200,000 of it to Yards and Docks. On page 41 you will see the total appropriation for coal and transportation is $5,000,000, the same as it was last year, and $4,800,000 is transferred to you and $200,000 is transferred to Yards and Docks. Admiral COWIE. Yards and Docks has coaling plants, making repairs, and things of that kind, which really come under their supervision.

Mr. WITHERSPOON. Admiral, is that $4,800,000 based on the assumption that all the coal to be used on the Pacific on the ships over there is going to be shipped from the Atlantic coast?

Admiral CoWIE. Yes, sir.

Mr. WITHERSPOON. Can you tell me whether or not they expect to get any of the Alaskan coal that we have been appropriating for for two or three years?

Admiral CowIE. The Alaskan coal proposition has not been fully reported on yet.

The CHAIRMAN. There is no way of getting it yet no railroads have been built.

Admiral COWIE. They have gotten out of the Matanuska fields during this last year about 900 tons, and the question now is of transporting it and getting it down to tidewater, where it can be loaded on one of our vessels for test.

Mr. WITHERSPOON. What I wanted you to state is whether they have tested that or not?

Admiral CowIE. They have tested some of the Bering River coal, but that has not been fully tested. They are still waiting for that, and I think when the engineer in chief comes here he will be ready to give you the latest information they have on it. The Matanuska field, from which they have gotten out about 900 tons, has been under the Director of Mines, who has had charge of that whole busi

He stated to the Secretary the other day that there is no question but what he can get it to tidewater. They were delayed somewhat in trying to get bids for having it hauled down to the sea. Mr. WITHERSPOON. Hauling the part they want to use to test? Admiral CowIE. To test; yes, sir.

Mr. WITHERSPOON. They have tested one part of it?

Admiral CowIE. They have tested some of the Bering River coals. Mr. WITHERSPOON. Did the test show that it was suitable to use on the ships?

Admiral CowIE. The tests were not as satisfactory, I think, as they hoped they would be, but they have not fully completed those tests. The engineer in chief will probably give you better information on that point than I can.

Mr. ROBERTS. They have not yet tested any of the Matanuska? Admiral CowIE. The Matanuska coal has not been tested.

Mr. ROBERTS. None of the 900 tons we have provided should be brought out?

Admiral CowIE. That has not been brought down.

The CHAIRMAN. The Matanuska was the last and the Bering River was the first. They have partially tested the Bering River; they have not made any test of the Matanuska.

Mr. ROBERTS. They have not got the coal to test it?

Admiral CowIE. No; they have gotten out this 900 tons, and the question now is about transportation down, and that amount of $75,000 which was appropriated they say will have to be increased in order to pay the transportation. It will cost about $32,000, they estimated.

Mr. BROWNING. How do you propose to get it down? Admiral CowIE. They have purchased horses and sleds and everything of that kind. I have a long report here from the Director of Mines.

Mr. BROWNING. It will take a good many horses and sleds to pull 900 tons of coal down?

Admiral CowIE. Yes, sir. They got, I think, 50 horses, 20 twohorse sleds, 15 one-horse sleds, 6 wagons, and employed 25 teamsters, 5 trail makers, 3 cooks, and a blacksmith.

Mr. BROWNING. How far have they to haul it?

The CHAIRMAN. About 140 miles.

Mr. ROBERTS. As I recall, 146 miles.

Admiral CowIE. The distance from the coal fields to tidewater, 60 miles; and there will be an additional 15 miles by barge to nearest ship anchorage. Transportation will be by sleds on ice and snow during the winter or early spring months.

Mr. WITHERSPOON. We made two appropriations of $75,000 each. Do you mean that has been exhausted?

Admiral CowIE. The first $75,000 that was provided was used for the Bering River fields, and I have a report to-day showing that there will be about $866.71 of that unobligated. For the $75,000 for the Matanuska coal we have not yet had any report.

Mr. WITHERSPOON. You do not know whether that is exhausted or not?

Admiral CowIE. From the statement made to the Secretary by the Director of Mines, which I have here, he practically says that it is exhausted, but the Bureau of Supplies and Accounts has not received any returns from the parties who were made disbursing officers, because they stated they could not get them in on account of some difficulties up North. The accounts should have been rendered some time ago, and I will endeavor to get them as soon as possible. Mr. WITHERSPOON. Have you any item in this bill appropriating more money for the purpose of completing that test?

Admiral CowIE. No, sir.

Mr. WITHERSPOON. If those other appropriations are actually exhausted, how are we going to complete the test without some appropriation?

Admiral COWIE. By taking it out of coal and transportation. They have the coal mined. You see, we have an appropriation for coal and transportation.

The CHAIRMAN. I will ask you to state whether this coal and transportation covers oil.

Admiral CowIE. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. State how much coal was purchased during the last fiscal year, and the price; and how much oil was purchased, and the price.

Mr. ROBERTS. And contrast that with the year before.

Admiral CowIE. I will give you the consumption.

Mr. WITHERSPOON. Mr. Chairman, let me understand that. What do you mean by the last fiscal year?

The CHAIRMAN. Ended the last day of last June.

Admiral CowIE. The fiscal year of the Government ends on the 30th of each June.

In 1911 the consumption was 744,423 tons; 1912, 729,903; 1913, 658,813 tons. The average cost of this was, for 1911, $4.25; for 1912, $4.07; for 1913, $4.53.

Mr. WITHERSPOON. That includes all of the coal?

Admiral CowIE. That includes all of the coal for this appropriation.

Mr. WITHERSPOON. What is the average of the cost of your coal, without transportation?

Admiral CowIE. The coal for 1912, average cost per ton was $2.63; for 1913, $2.96; and for 1914, which is this year, we have contracts for $2.90-that is at tidewater, down at Hampton Roads. Now, then, we have different prices at New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore.

Mr. WITHERSPOON. What are those prices?

Admiral CowIE. New York, 1912, was $3.20; 1913, $3.25 to $3.40, and 1914 we have a contract made for $3.40.

At Philadelphia, 1912, $2.77 to $2.99, according to the method of delivery, of course, delivered up in the plant at Philadelphia or alongside the ship in barges, etc., from $2.70 to $2.99; in 1913 it was $2.75 to $2.99, and for 1914 the contract is $2.97 to $3.09 and $3.19.

In Baltimore, July, 1911, to April, 1912, was $2.50; from April 1, 1912, to June 30, 1912, $2.70. We made two contracts for six months each in the fiscal year 1913 at $2.70 and $3.

The CHAIRMAN. You can put those tables in, all of them, so that we can have them. You used the words "coal consumed," does that mean all of the coal purchased and put in storage?

Admiral CowIE. No, sir; that means the consumption.

The CHAIRMAN. What was the total amount of coal purchased last year.

Admiral CowIE. Coal purchased in 1912w as 804,544.61 tons, and in 1913, 900,092.48 tons.

Mr. ROBERTS. Have you contracted for 1914?

The CHAIRMAN. What was it for-1913 ?

Admiral COWIE. $2.96 for 1913 and for 1914 we have contracted at $2.90.

Mr. ROBERTS. Have you contracted for a given number of tons in 1914 you do not contract in that way?

Admiral CowIE. No.

Mr. ROBERTS. You ask for so many tons, more or less?

Admiral CowIE. We contract for coal to be delivered in any quantity we require and at any time.

The CHAIRMAN. How much did you buy in 1913?

Admiral CowIE. 900,092.48 tons; that is domestic coal. Now, foreign coal purchased, was for 1913, 45,748.13 tons.

The CHAIRMAN. What did you say was the price of your coal? Was that for the same as the coal consumed?

Admiral CowIE. The coal consumed, of course, would have added to that the cost of transportation; for instance, if we send it around to the Pacific coast.

The CHAIRMAN. What I want to get at, Admiral, is what was your opinion as to the cost of coal for those years, delivered at these different places?

Admiral CowIE. Those are the costs that I have mentioned and the prices were very reasonable-as we require the very best coal and that it be delivered at any time in any quantity we direct. The CHAIRMAN. For 1913?

Admiral CoWIE. Yes.

The CHAIRMAN. Then, how much coal did you transport to the Pacific coast, the Philippines, and the Asiatic coast?