Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-08-24
Continued from PAGE One


pea coal Local retail prices for these
grades are now averaging $3.50 ton for
chestnut coal. Ss25 for stove coal IS for
egg coal and 81 for pea coal,
Doubtful as the retail coal merchants
were as to their future prospects, the big
coal operators were unqualified In their
expression of pleasure at the Presidents
proclamation. Robert j. Montgomery, vice
president and general coal sales agent OF
| the Reading Coal and Iron Company, said:
Anthracite prices fixed by the Govern
| ment prove that the large companies. as has
| been contended all along. have been charg.
| ing only what was reasonable and getting |
| only moderate prices. We have been and |
| shall continue to mine as much coal as |
possible, so long as the market requires it,"
PRICE MAY Go HIGHER
Taking egg coal as an example, retail !
, dealers today pointed out that when the |
! price set by the President for this grade |
| $4I5 "A ton. has added to II sl.56 for freight |
charges from the mines to Philadelphia
I twenty cents for tho jobbers legitimate
! profit. Sl,2j for the overhead charges and
delivery by the retailer, the total would
! hc 81 80. II The coal administrator should
permit net profit OF 81 TO the retailer,
the price might be fixed at SS.i5 instead
of IS as a. present
Local retailers said today. however. that
they would he overjoyed TO make so cents
"a ton net profit ''hcy are unable TO get
coal for delivery at any price, they in
, sisted
! 1--WE aren't worrying about profits" said
/ one retailer. because our chief concern is
| where to get any coal at all. Coal ordered
from the mines i'm June is just coming along
in drIblcts now. II the public is to reap
! any benefit from the coal administration,
{ the Government should eliminate the jobber
altogether and allow the retailer TO buy
direct from the mine. The price.booster has
, been the johber. who has Corraled enough
SPOT coal to enable him to hold up the re.
In
81 above the prices set for coal at the mine
n mouth"
An of these prices set by tle President
. are to apply on tons of 22iO pounds Tne
:, / margins fixed for jobbers are thirty cents
. | ton on anthracite Tor delivery west of Buff
+. | falo and twenty cents a ton east Of Buffalo.
4, ON soft coal the iobbers margin is to be ff-
teen cents ton of 1000 pounds
Y Other producers may charge an advance
= of scventy-hv cents a ton of 224O pounds
= over the figures set for the railroad-owned
d mines Those who incur the expense OF re-
screening it, at Atlantic or Lake ports may
x add an additional five cents a ton.
It PROFITS FOR JoBBERs
,i Anthracite jobbers delivering coal at Buff
10 fao and points east of that city will be
o allowed a maximum profit of twenty cents
=, | n ton of 22i0 pounds, and those delivering
a. | it west of Buffalo may charge an excess OF
,n thirty cents. The combined gross profits OF
n, any number of jobbers handling shipment
must not exceed the limit of profit set fol-
an single iobber, except that screening
ts charge of five cents may be made on watel
20 shipments at Atlantic or Lake ports.
Btuminous profits for iobbers fxet
at fifteen cents a ton of 1000 pounds, an'
the same restrictions that govern dealing
by a number OF anthracite jobbers apply f
Ii bituminous transactions
to The Presidents order forbds railroad
le owned mines from selling to other mne'
ar, and prohibits dealers from selling coal pro
IN, | duced by railroad-owned mines on "A basi
all of prices fixed for other mines.
ell Bituminous jobbers prices Become effeC
nd tive Immediately, as did 5ituminous min
I'D prices announced Wednesday,
X The coal administration will be organize
lor MS soon as Doctor Garfield has complete
his work of recommending to- the food at
minstration n Government price for III
1917 wheat crop. Doctor Garfeld's prc,
fixing committee, it was said would
10 ready to announce price within fe'
'o days.
LICENSING SYSTEM PLANNED
he Doctor Garfield has announced he wou
II | institute "a licensing system for all co;
ire dealings from the mine to the retailer an
nte that il prices we're fixed for retailers II
an licensing would be extended to cover reta
dealings.
it'll Under the law giving the President col
the troll of fuels the Government can take ovt
in and operate any mines failing to obserN
regulations prescribed. A corporate
ma similar to the wheat corporation of the foe
ore administration has been suggested as
lies possibility to prepare the Government
ra- handle the situation If the price fixing pla
les does not work out satisfactorily.
ut The last resort under the law is Cover
cal ment reuuisitionng of the output of q
18th mines and the sale of it to the public. tt
organization of an operating and purcha
ion ing corporat ation would provide all the m
of chinery necessary to put the commandeerii
q lou nf
'rth Fixing of retail prices presents tangl
up nrobIem Handling costs not the sar
the in any two cities and fiat gross marg
ons that will assure equitable profits will
NY | hard to fix.
,,t on the other hand, a percentage pro
a,1 | plan would present even more difficulti
in because of trouble IN keeping TRACK oi poo
yith ! keeping methods.
@ some officials believe retail prices mi
he reduced by exposure Of dealers w
have been reaping eXorbitant prohts, =
ready the Trade Commission Is pupllshi
renorts of its Investigations IN Varlo
y cities designed to show that in anthrac
particularly the retailer largely is to blar
JE for high prices.
There has been virtually no complaint
4 anthracite prices charged at the mir
H., since the producers and the Trade Col
~ ~ mission agreed some months ago on sci
"a OF prices but there has been no law uno
"F which jobbers and retailers could be curb'
In fixing anthracite prices however, II W
,o. deemed essential that they be fixed at
tote mines as well as elsewhere.
lore LABOR BIG PROBLEM
ferS The hippest problem ahead of the ct
o. administration as seen by officials W
note have studied II, is the labor situation 1
ANY general reduction of prices in the bitur
any nous fields probably means that labor
IL be disappointed in many requests Tor wa
,end increases based on the high prices produc
ring have been receiving for their output.
ana II there are strikes and production
reduced the Government can take over q
put operate the mines, but it has no power
Ter compel labor to work. Oficials OF
lted Government and labor representatives
conducting negotiations over this probe
resi- Some operators have declared it will be
oper possible for them TO grant wage increa
as under the new scale of prices, and throu
when out the Middle West and in other parts
hed. the country general coal mine strikes
ates pending.
West Virginia operators meeting In wa
mem ington pledged their full support to the G
'port ernment and voted to send representative
srser a meeting of operators at Pittsburgh \
GER Wednesday. Their resolution rec'
'ans mended that the Pittsburgh confere