The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-06-19
WANT INQUIRY
 INTO COAL RISE
New York Civic Bodies De- mand Federal Inves-
 tigation.

An effort to force an investigation of the anthracite coal industry by the Federal Trade Commission to deter
 mine whether those in control of the
 coal trade may be compelled to re- duce the present high prices is being
 made by the New York Building Managers Association and the South Brooklyn Board of Trade, with the support of other civic organizations.
 A statement issued by R. B. McIn- tyre, representing the Brooklyn or
 ganization, charges that the addi- tional cost of production due to the concessions to the miners, estimated at s9,0OO,00O to $12,00O,0O0 yearly, is being saddled on the consumer en- tire1y. In the three previous instances when general advances were made in the wages of the mine workers it is charged that not only was the entire
 cost of the increase added to the price to the consumers but considerably | more, resulting in largely increased profits to the operators.
 | This was particularly true of the
 wage agreement of May 20, 1912, says the statement. An investigation of the increase in prices following the wage agreement made by the Secre- | tary of Commerce and Labor pursu- ant to a resolution of the Hodse of I basis of the shipments from June to December, 1912 the coal men had taken from the pockets of the con-
 sumers about $19,45O, ,OOO; although the increase in the wages of the miners amounted to only $4,000,00O. At the rate of advance since early in 1915 the householder this Septen-
 Der will be compelled to pay 25 cents more a ton for his furnace coal and 50 cents a ton more for his stove and range coal than he paid at the same time last year.
 '"The annual shipments of anthra- cite coal from the Schuylki1I, Lehigh and Wyoming regions says the state ment, Approximate more than /65,- i 100000 tons Based on an increase of 50 cents a ton, this represents an in 1 crease to the consumer of more than ! $32,0O0,000 a year. This is a very rough estimate. The increase will probably not amount to 50 cents on all sizes will it extend over the whole year. It does give, however. an indication of the possibility of great
 profits to some of the factors in the | coal producing business"
 Communications calling for an in vestigation were addressed to Presi-
 dent Wilson, United States Senator O'Gorman and Representatives F'itz- gerald, Riordan and Rowe.
 In reply 10 I1dO0 Oy L440 New York Building Managers Asso- citation the Federal Trade Commission on May 9 stated that the scope of it's investigation into the coal business did not include the anthracite indus try, but that the anthracite industry might be investigated later f public interest so require.'
 Copies of the commissions letter and other letters from the same body were sent to President Wilson on May 16. Secretary Tumulty wrote to the New York Building Managers Asso- citation that the matter was being brought to the attention of the Fed eral Trade Commission.
 Through the secretary of the South Brooklyn Board of Trade, communi- cations were addressed to all the tax payers and civic associations in Brooklyn requesting them to. com Emunicate with their local representa- tives in Congress so as to demonstrate to the Federal Trade Commission through them that public interest does require the Investigation asked for.
 The Real Estate Board of New York and the Brooklyn Real Estate Exchange will circulate petitions this week to be signed by manufacturers and business men generally.
 sIt is estimated that New York City and vicinity consume approximately
 25 per cent. of the entire output of anthracite coal" the statement con cludes, 'sso the importance >of this matter to the business interests and the househoIders of New York City can hardly be oversimad."
 Paolo Boselli has formed a new