The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-06-29
Government Goes Further and
Fixes Profit Which Jobber
May Receive
REDUCTION OF S A TON
ON THE RETAIL SALES
Operators After All-Day Con-
ference Practically Place
Decision in Hands Of Fed
eral officials

Washington, June 38.-A maximum
price OF $3.50 q ton for domestic coal
and a maximum price of So ton for
all other coal I. o. b. at the mines for
all states east of the Mississippi river
win so into effect after July l.: These
figures were reached tonight at the
conference Of the operators with Sec
rotary OF Interior Lane, J. Franklin
Fort. Of the federal trade commission.
and Francis III. Peabody. chairman
Of the coal production committee OF
the council Of national defense.
In round numbers this means a re-
duction Of IS q ton to the consumer
fFeHs the famine prices paid last win
ter. Conservative estimates are that
the public Will pay from IS to So a
ton next winter.
The agreement carries Z recommen-
dation that jobbers who buy direct
from the mines be limited to q profit
Of twenty-five cents = ton.
Allowing this margin to tho 3obber.
Il was said, tho prices that win Be
quoted eventually by the dealer to the
small buyer for home consumption
Will be Z question In which public
ssE ttment Win hare Q loud voice In
deciding One Of the ieadfDg oper-
atprs at the meeting aid the great
cut IN prices at the mines would re-
suit in an annual saving to th0 con-
suzners Of 31sAo0o. 900. &
II took tho operators the entire day
to arrive 1t this scale. Next weak a1l-
other conferences will Be held by Eecre-
tary Lane. Mr.. Fort, Mr.. Peabody end
the members OF the operatorr com
mtt4es - which prices viii - Rad
Tor fafS 1t41ES weSt u W. ~
Tho agreement provides that the
government shall have . reduction OF
nifty cents = ton on the prices which
will be In effect Monday. The prices
shall not apply to any contracts en-
tered into before today and it 10 fur
Their understood that the prices shall
not apply to bunker and export coal
Failure to hx a scale for the western
falf Of this country wss explained by
the operators as due TO the wide dif-
ferences in mining conditions. 1t is
not thought however. that the Western
prices will vary to any apprecia BILE de-
gree from those made for the Eastern
states
No ratification will be required for
the agreement made tonight The fix-
ing price binds more than 80 per cent
OF the coal production OF the United
States.
The operators paved their way to
q solution OF the dif1iculty interposed
by the department OF justice the first
thing today. They resorted to the
simple expedient OF re-drafting the
price-fxing resolution the department
OF Justice found Objectionable. so
wording 1t that the onus OF price liking
was placed upon the secretary OF the
interior. Mr.. Fort. OF the federal trades
commission and Chairman Peabody
OF the coal production committee OF
the council OF national defense. This
resolution said in part:
whereas a great national emer-
gencys now exists In the fuel supply OF
the nation and as the coal operators
and miners OF the United States de-
sire to Cooperate A. closely a. pns-
sioie with the government and as the
department Of the interior, the federut
trades commission and the Committee
on coal production have given close
and intelligent study to the conditions
now existing.
Therefore be 1t Resolved. That IL
Ia the sense Of this meeting that 4
ofsseven for each coal pro-
dusing state and An additional commit
tee OF seven for the anthracite indus
try be appointed by representatives Of
each state now attending this con-
vention to confer with the secretary
OF the interior. the federal trades
commission and the committee OF coal
production to the end that produce
ton Be stimulated and plans be per-
fected to provide adequate means Of
and, further. that these
committees report forthwith to the
secretary Of the interior. the federal
trades commission and the commit
tee on coal production costs OF ana
surrounding the production
and distribution in each district ana
that these committees are authorised
In their discretion to give assent to
such maximum prices for coal (. 9.
b. cars at mines IN the various dis
tricts as may be named by the sAcre-
tary OF tho interior. the federal trades