Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1917-08-24
RAPID PROGRESS
MADE IN PLAN To
FIX COAL PRICES

WASHINGTON, d. c., August "a
Government control OF the coal indus
try has been made almost complete
by President Wilson's appointment Of
Dr. H. A. Garfield, president of Will
liams college, fuel administrator, fix
ed anthracite prices for producers and
iobbers, and set a limit on profits to
be made by bituminous wholesalers.
The next and final step will be to
make regulations for coal distribution
and to fix anthracite and bituminous
retail prices. This will be done when
"a distribution program is perfected.
The anthracite prices fixed, effective
September 1, are virtually the same as
those charged at the mines under vol
ntary arrangement made by producers
with the Trade Commission. The prices
that may be charged by jobbers, how
ever, will reduce present costs sharply.
Bituminous jobbers profits, too, will be
cut by the new price scale set for
wholesale transactions.
Bituminous profits for jobbers are
fixed at 10 cents a ton of 1900 pounds,
ard the same restrictions that govern
dealings by number of anthracite lob
hers apply to bituminous transactions.
The presidents order forbids railroad
owned mines from selling to other
mines and prohibits dealers from sell
ing coal produced by railroad owned
mines on a basis of prices fixed for
other mines
The bituminous jobbers prices be-
come effective Immediately.
The coal administration will be or
anized as soon as Dr. Garfield has
completed his work of recommending
to the food administration a govern
ment price for the 1917 wheat crop. A
price will be announced in few days.
DR.. Garfield announced last night
he would institute a licensing system
for all coal dealings from the mines
to the retailer, and that if prices wera
fixed for retailers licensing would be
extended to cover retail dealings.
Can Take Over Mines.
Under the law giving the president
control of fuels the government can
take over and operate any mines failing
.to observe regulations prescribed. A
corporation similar to the wheat cor
poration of the Food Administration
was suggested last night as possibil-
ity to prepare the government to han
die the situation if the price-fxing
plan does not work out satisfactorily.
The last resort under the law is gov
ernment requisiticning the output OF
all mines and the sale of it to the
public.
FiXin Of retail prices presents tan
gible problem. Price costs are not the
same in any two cities and fiat gross
margin that will assure equitable pro
profits will be hard to fix On the
other hand, a percentage profit plan
would present even more difficulties,
because of trouble in keeping track of
bookkeeping methods.
The biggest problem ahead of the
Coal Administration as seen by Off
cials who have studied the situation is
the labor situation. The general re-
duction of prices in the bituminous
fields, probably means that labor will
be disappointed in many requests for
wage increases based on the high
prices producers have been receiving
for their output
If there are strikes and production is
reduced, the government can take over
and operate the mines, but it has no
power to compel labor to work. Offic-
ials of the government and labor rep
resentatives are conducting negotia-
tions over this problem Some opera
tors have declared it impossible for
them to grant wage increases under
the new scale of prices.
Early extension of government con-
troll of fuel oils was predicted today
by officials. Power to fix prices of
oils and to govern their distribution
and sale is given the president in the
coal clause of the food bill