The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-08-24
GARFIELD IS NAMED
fcontinued Prom Pirst Page.)

costs. Bitumnous jobbers' profits. too.
| will be cut by the new price scale set
| for wholesale. transactions.
The anthracite prices effective Sep
TENDER l. range from 81 TO IS per ton
! (2240 pounds) (. o. b. mines Jobbers
are allowed to add a profit Of not more
than 20 cents per ton for deliveries
east Of Buffalo and Of not more than
| 80 cents west of Buffalo.
! Tho anthracite scale for railroad
owned mines which include practically
all the big producers follows:
White Ash. broken. s4.55; egg. s4.45;
stove, s47O; chestnut. $3.50; pea. $500;
Red Ash. broken. s4.75; egg. s4.65; stove.
$3.50: chestnut, $3.50: pea. $40: Lykens
Valley. broken. $780, egg, $500 stove.
$3.50: chestnut $3.50: pea. s+.35.
| Producers who incur the expense Of
| re-screening anthracite at Atlantic or
| lake ports for rc-Shipment by water are
painted to add not more than five
cents per ton to the price.
Other producers may charge an ad-
vance of IS cents a ton Of 2240 pounds
over the figures set for the railroad
owned mines.
Anthracite jobbcrs delivering coal at
! Buffalo and points east OF that city
will be allowed a maximum profit of
20 cents ton Of 22+O pounds and those
delivering 1t west Of Buffalo may charge
an excess Of 30 cents. The combined
gross profits Of any number OF job
bers handling A shipment must not eN-
! coed the limit of profit set for n single
| jobber. except that screening charge
Of five cents may be made on water
shipments at Atlantic or lake ports.
Bituminous Profits.
Bttumlnous jobbcrs' profits are fixed
at Is cents ton of 2.00n pounds. and
the same restrictions that govern deal
! ings by a number Of anthracite johbers
apply to hituminous transactions.
The Presidents order forbids rail-
road-owncd mines from selling to other
mines. and prohibits dealers from SELL
ing coal produced by ralroad-owned
mines on a basis of prices liked for
other mines.
The bituminous jobbers prices be-
come effective Immediately. rs did BIZ
luminous mine prices announced last
night.
The coal administration will be or:
Ganized as soon as DR.. Garfield has
completed his work Of recommending TO
the food administration a government
price for the 1917 wheat crop. DR..
Garfclds pricc-hxing committee. 1t
/ was said to-day. would be ready 10 an
nounce q price within n few days.
Licensing System.
DR.. Garfield announced tonight he
would institute q licensing system for
| all coal dealings from the mine to the
retailer, and that II prices were fixed
| for retailers the licensing would be ex-
tended 10 cover retail dealings.
Under the law giving the President
control of fuels. the government can
take over and operate any mines fail
| nd
a corpora ton similar 10 the wheat cor
poration Of the food administration was
suggested tonight rs possibility. IN
prepare the government to handle the
situation If the prcc-iiXing plan does
not work out satisfactorily. The last
resort under the law is government re-
QUESTIONING Of the output Of all mines
and the sale of it to the public
Tangled Problem.
The organization Of an operating anu
purchasing corporation would provide
all the machinery necessary to put the
communicating provision of the law
! into operation.
/ The fixing of a retail price presents
n tangled problem. Handling costs arc
not the same in any two cities. and
! flat gross margin that will assure
equitable profits will be hard To fix.
On the other hand. Il percentage profit
plan would present even more difficult
ties, because of trouble in keeping track
Of bookkeeping methods.
West virginia's Pledge.
West Virginia operators, meeting
here to-day, pledged their full support
to the government and voted to send
representatives TO II meeting of opcrn>
tors at Pittsburgh next Wednesday.
! Their resolutions recommended that the
! Pittsburgh conference name commit,
tee to sit in Washington and give
every aid to the government
! Early extension of government con-
! troll to fuel oils was predicted tonight
by officials. Power t" fix prices Tor OILS
and to govern their distribution and
sale is given to the President IN the
coal clause Of the food bill.
Expose Extortion.
| Some officials believe retail prices
NAV be reduced b. exposure Of dealers
who have been reuring cNorbitant prof
! it's Already the trade commission Is
publishing reports of its Investigations
| In various cities designed 10 show ina;
| in anthracite particularly the retailer
! largely is TO blame for high prices.
There has been virtually no complaint
| of anthracite prices charged Mt the
mines since the producers and the trade
commission agreed some months ago on
/ no law undcr which johhors and retail
crs could hc curbcd. In fixing anthro-
| cite prices. however. it was deemed
J essential that prices be fixed at the
mines as we'll ns elsewhere.
The Labor Situation.
, The biggest problem ahead nf the
{ conI administration, as seen by officials
who have studied tho situation. Is the
! labor situation. The general reduction
! of uriccs in tho hituminnus fields prob
! ahIv means that labor will be disap-
! nointcd In many respects for wage in
crcases based on the high prices pro-
! durrrs have boon receiving for their
! output
! If there are strikes and production
| ia reduced the government can take
rnro and operate the mines. hut II has
! no mower to compel labor TO work. Of
! fcials Of the governments and labor rep
| rcscraativcS arc conducting negotiations
over this problem. Some operators
! have declared it will be impossible for
! them 10 grant wage increases under
tho now scale Of prices and throughout
the middle west and In other parts of
the country general coal mine strikes
| pending.
Wilson On tho Job.
! BIRMINGHAM. Ala. Aug. 23.-Sccre-
J tarv Wilson was in conference with
miners and coal operators Of the
| Birmingham district today on the pend-
! ing controversy over recognition Of tn"
miners union. The secretary stated
| that information about the progress
| made would he issued to the public AS
! developments justified.