New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-05-23
COAL MEN PLAN BIG \: I
RAID ON CONSUMERS
Labor cost for 1910, 1t is admitted. NAV
be accepted in calculations for 1911.

Labor cost for 1910, it is admitted. may
be accepted in calculations for 1911
According to the testimony given bv
the coal operators in the governments
suit against the coal trust, domestic
sizes Of coal constitute approximately
81 per cent OF the anthracite production.
and they must bear the weight Of any
increase in wages, as the price Of steam ?
sizes cannot be increased on account Of
the competition Of bituminous coal.
The cost Of production being $1.274 ton
and an increase Of 81 per cent having
been granted. the cost of production Is
increased S.O667. But as the domestic
sizes Of anthracite must bear the IN
crease for the entire output the In.
creased cost Of production for domestic
sizes must be put at $40 ton.
| The operators say that aside from the
wage increase granted 10 the miners
there has been a further increase in the
cost of production in the last ten years,
due TO higher prices of materials and
the greater outlay for pumping, yentila.
ton and underground transportation,
due to the exhaustion Of the richer and
more accessible veins They add Ave
cents a ton TO the price of domestic
sizes to make up for this increase IN
production cost, and with the wage In.
crease of 10 cents a ton Is cents a ton
added to the price Of domestic sizes
should make up all the increased costs
Of production the last ten years have
shown in the anthracite industry. 80
The operators, however. II was learned
yesterday, have decided to advance the
prices Of domestic sizes Of anthracite -
cents a ton, and their new price circu-
lars showing this advance. are expected
to be issued at the end OF this week or
the first of next week.
In 1911 the price circulars gave the
New York prices Of the domestic sizes
Of coal as: Crate, 81 %; egg, 81 so: stove
81 so, and chestnut. - 70 ton, all effec.
} tive in April. There was an advance Of
10 cents a ton each month up to and
including September. when the maxi.
mum prices were reached, Of: Crate
| 81 IS; egg, IS; stove, IS, and chestnut
So % a ton.
/ This year, according TO the present
plans OF the operators, the top price
reached in September will be: Crate, IS,
egg, s. %: stove, s. %, and chestnut,
IS 30 a ton. 1t Is expected that the new
price list will be issued as Of June ], ami
that it will allow discount Of 80 cents
ton for June, 20 cents for July and 10
. cents for August, as has been the Gus
tom In previous years.
AS the production this year is expected
TO equal that of 1911, this new price list
means that the consumers OF domesti:
sizes Of coal will pay the operators an
unearned profit OF 10 cents a ton above
all increases in cost OF production on co.
O6I. AL tons OF anthracite, or S6VO6.-
I45 10.
In 1900 and again in 1902 the operators
increased the wages Of the miners n
per cent. After each increase the price
Of domestic sizes Of anthracite was in
creased so cents a ton. This made an
increase of 81 ton In 1902. Vice
President Richards Of the Philadelphia
& Reading Company, testifying in the
coal trust suit in 1910, said:
In 1898 the average cost OF coal was
1882"
Q.-At the breaker" AT tn.
breaker. In 1908 the cost was s2.l4s.
Q.-Thirty- cents difference? A
Thirty-two cents yes. might Just add
that the cost 10 produce In 1900 vas
s1S7.
/ This was in the Southern field, where
IL costs most TO produce anthracite. In
the northern field the added cost was e
cents a ton. Allowing. however, the
benefit of the greater added cost 81 3s
cents a ton, the operators took to them-
selves in 1911 an unearned profit .,
$40. 845. SOS IS on the two-thirds OF the
production that went into domestic sizes.
while since 1902 their unearned profit
has been more than s317,000.00o.
And as they have now determined not
only to make the public pay the miners
wage increase, but have added further
increase OF 10 cents ton above all add
J tional costs, they are adding 10 their
already enormous unearned profits fur
Their sum Of more than sS000.o0o wear,
taken from the pockets Of the public