Arizona republican., 1917-12-02
PRICE OR COAL IS
 RAISED
Republican A. P. Leased Wire1

WASHINGTON, Dec. IA general increase of 35 cents a ton was added to the price of anthracite coal at the mines today by President Wilson, to meet a proposed wage increase for an- thracite miners. The new prices are effective beginning today and will add more than s30,OO0,00O to the public's annual coal bill.
 The wage increase was agreed on by operators and miners representatives here two weeks ago, contingent on higher coal prices to absorb the raise. When their negotiations were ended the operators and miners turned over to the fuel administration their agree ment and estimates of what it would add to the cost of production. They asked that prices be raised at least 45 cents a ton.
 Fuel Administrator Garfield said tonight he gave the problem the most careful consideration, hesitating to de- eide whether it would be worse to add to the burden of those who buy coal or permit Workmen to leave the mines for higher pay elsewhere, thus reduc- ing the coal output. It was evident, he said, that the producers were ready to fight the wage increases if forced to pay the entire amount themselves. | try and the factors influencing his decision that prices should be in- creased were set forth by Dr. Garfield 1 in a letter to the president recom- mending that the increahe be put at | 35 cents a ton. The letter, made pub lie tonight at the White house along with the presidents order, said: 'tThe labor problem in the anthracite mines is not different, in any material respect from that in the bituminous | fields. Most of the comment in my letter of October 26 is applicable to the anthracite. situation. It therefore is necessary to repreat it here. On No vember IT, after a conference of about two weeks, the anthracite operators and miners reached an agreement, a copy of which l enclose.
 Tn response to my request, the fper- ators' association furnished state ments showing in detail the tonnage and actual labor costs since the last wage increase, May 1917 and the ad- ditional cost per ton if the increase o1 November F is added. These figure. were based upon an examination O. over 6S,000.000 tons or S5 per cent o the total tonnage estimated for 1917 If the proposed wage increase become:
 effective, the increased cost placed upOH lue OpeTdlOTS Will range rom Ei
 cents per ton to 56 cents per ton.
 small high cost tonnage shows addi
 tional costs per ton as high as 70 cents
 The weighed average of the abov
 mentioned tonnage accurately figured
 is 37.2 cents per ton. The increase.
 cost to operators producing about fl.
 000,000 tons, or substantially one-hal
 of this years tonnage, will be 35 cent
 and upward per ton.
 'I, therefore respectfully recommen,
 that the price fixed by your permission of August 23, 1917, as modified wit
 respect to the price of pea cYal by m
 order of October 1, 1917, be uniforml
 increased in the sum of 35 cents pc ton, provided, however, that these in
 creases shall not apply-to any coal sol at the mine under existing contract containing a provision for an increas
 for the price of coal hereunder in cas of an increase in wages paid to miners Tn this connection I desire to sa that it is my expectation to order tn reduction in anthracite prices whic . has been regularly given beginnin April 1, 1918.
 T desire also to call attention to u | fact that the board of conciliatic created by the commission appointe . by President Roosevelt in 1902 h;
 performed its tasks so acceptably to 8 concerned that there is no occasiC 2 for the introduction of an automat | penalty clause, as provided in the ca, of the bituminous field, nor was u y inclusion of any such clause provide 5 for in the agreement of November Q between the operators and the mir workers"