Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-03-03
THE PUBLIC PAYS.
CONTINUED from Page One.)

-
Bureau OF Labor submitted to the
House Saturday
fhe report submitted by Sec. Nagel
Is IT. result of an Investigation con-
duc'cd in response To a House resolu-
tieh asking for the elements of cost
ana 2Echt included III the present high
price OF anthracite.
An average increase Of 26 cent a ton
IN wholesale coal prices WAS discover
cd 10 nave been made since the strike
agreement OF last May. In spite OF the
iact mat the workers benefited abou.
sl,ev"C IN increased wages during the
Neaf' me report adds that the recent
increases m prices have been moro
tnan Sufficient 10 compensate fully
those companies whose costs Of pro-
dIctiun have increased most rapidly
durlle recent years, and at the same
time have very greatly increased the
Profits of those companies. of whom
there are at least several whose costs
OF production either decreased or re-
manned stationary during the Same pc
r3od.
Coal for domestic use increased ii
fraction more than 81 cents a ton, that
or pea coal and the smaller steam
sizes 10 cents ton These figures were
based on comparison of net receipts by
the operators after the agreement Of
May last with their receipts during the
same months, juno to September, 1911.
On the more than $13,0000O0 gained
by the operators after the strike agree
ment $lO9un,000 was derived from gen
eral increase in prices and about 81,
559W0 from the suspension of April
ana May discounts. while in addition Il
limited number of operators are re-
ported To have received very large
sums thrcugh the sale OF ooal az Premi-
ums made possible by the shortage Of
shipments incident to the strike
The discounts of 10 and 20 cents
ten customarily allowed in April and
May on domestic size coal were sus-
pended during these months in 1912. As
result the operators not only gained
by saving this discount says the re-
port, but IN addition purchasers who
were unable to secure their usual sup
ply in those months were forced to buy
Il during June, July or August, when
discount rates were smaller, or in Sep
TENDER and later when tull circular
prices are charged.
The $l3, 450,o 900, the report says, was
not net profit, because out of it came
the cost of the six weeks cessa ton Of
work by the strikers and also the in
crease il their wages.
The increase in wages, however, the
report adds. represents a raise of only
TO 10 cents a ton in the cost of coal
production.
The report does not estimate how
much more the public paid for its coal,
last year, than if 1911 rates had pre-
vailed, although it says that the in
crease in wholesale prices affected re-
tail prices directly and that in all
communities these advances were felt.
The retail increases averaged 20 cents
ton on stove and 40 to 50 cents on
chestnut coal.
In New York. Philadelphia and
Washington retail advances cores
pond very closely with the advances in
the circular prices of the operators. In
some places, however the advances
were much more pronounced and the
report cites Springfield, Mass, ana
Manchester, n. H., where 1t was APP
proNlmately $3.50 ton, and Boston and
New Haven where 1t was 5o cents.
The retali dealers IL SAYS oehehted
very uhequally from the price advances
Whether these increases We're reasonable
must be determined the report adds, Tor
ihdlViduai communities.
Inc report SHOWS that the coal conpa-
mes aHected by the supreme court de-
elsloh Oh last December had until lnell d
sun 1ufthef advantage, IN tnat tnelr con-
tracts with Independent companies by