Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1913-03-02
People Pay Advance of $751;
100000 On Fuel Bills to
Provide $4,000, 900 Increase
of Wages for Miners,
STARTLING STATEMENT
BY BUREAU OF LABOR
Price Of Hard Coal Boosted
Average of % Cents a Ton
to Provide Working Man
With Additional Pay,

tBy Morning journal Special Leased wire)
Washington, March lizard Coal
companies increased the wages of
their employees Sf.OO0.O0O year by
the strike agreement OF last May. and
increased the price of anthracite to
consumers St3,i50,0O0. according to
a report based on an investigation by
the bureau of labor. submitted TO the
house today. The report submitted
10y Secretary Nagcl is the result Of an
investigation conducted in response to
house resolution asking for the
elements of cost and profit included
in the present high price Of anthra-
elite.
An average increase Of 2G cents "A
ton IN wholesale coal prices was dis
covered to have been made since the
strike agreement Of last May. In
spite OF the fact that the workers
benefited about >i.O00, 600 IN in
creased wages during the year, the re-
port adds that the recent increases
in prices have been more than suf-
ficient 10 compensate fully those COM
panics whose costs Of production
have increased most rapidly during
recent years and az the same time
have very greatly increased the profits
OF those companies. Of whom there
are ut least several whose costs Of
production either decreased or re-
maincd stationary during the same
period
Coal for domestic use increased a
fiatluu musr .han sf cents ton.
that Of pea coal and the smaller
steam Sizes cents a ton. These
figures were based on comparison Of
net receipts by the operators after the
agreement OF May 1 with their re-
ceipts during the same months, June
to September. 1911.
or the more than Sl3.000.000
gained by the operators after the
strike agreement S10,900,00 was de-
rived from general increases in prices
ana about S2.550.000 from the sus-
pension of April and May discounts,
while in addition, a limited number of
operators are reported to have re
ccived very large sums through the
sale of coal at premiums made pos
sible by the shortage OF shipments"
incident to the strike. The discounts
Of 40 and 30 cents a ton. customarily
allowed in April and May on domes-
tie size coal were suspended during
those months in 1879. AS result.
the operators not only gained by saw
ing this discount says the report. but
IN addition purchasers who were un-
able to secure their usual supply in
those months were forced to buy II
during June July or August, when
the discount rates were smaller. or in
September and later, when full cir
cular prices are charged. The slS.-
450, 600. the report says was not net
profit because, out of it came the
cost OF the six weeks cessation or
work by the strikers and also the in
crease In their wages
The increase IN wages. however.
the report adds represents a raise of
only to TO cents a ton In the cost
Of coal production. The report does
not estimate how much more the
public paid for it's coal last year than
II 1911 rates had continued, although
II saws that the increase IN wholesale
prices affected retail prices directly
and that In all communities these
advances were felt The retail In
creases averaged 25 cents ton on
stove and 40 cents to 50 cents on
chestnut coal In New York, Phila-
delphia and Washington d. c.. re-
tail advances correspond very close
ly with the advances in the circular
prices of the operators IN some
places. however, the advances We're
much more pronounced, and the re-
port cites Springfield, Mass, and Man
chester. n r.. where it was approx
mately $3.50 ton. and Boston and
New Haven, Conn, where It was 80
cents
The retail dealers it says, bene-
fitted very unequally from the price
advances Whether these increases
were reasonable must be determined.
the report adds. for individual COM
munities The report shows that the
coal companies affected by the su
preme court decision of last Decem-
Der had until then a still further ad-
vantage in that their contracts with
independent companies BY which they
secured domestic coal at 65 per cent
of tidewater prices and were not dis
tributed when the price Of coal was
increased in June. While the So
called Independent operators paid
their miners the same increases I'M
wages as the larger coal companies.
they got only Is per cent Of the price
raise. while IS per cent of it, or s.Ia
cents ton. went to the big com
panies. As to the anthracite mine
workers. the report SAYS that they
benefited by the strike agreement of
May last not only BY an average in
crease Of so per cent in their wages
bur through the concession Of certain
working conditions.