The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1917-09-01
RETAIL COAL
DEALERS May
Be ABLE TO
G0UGE.PUBL|C
If Fuel is Not Shipped in
Consumer May Be Forced
to Pay Whatever is Asked
Tis Said.
NO EMBARGO IS ON

Richmond retail coal dealers again
may be able to hold-up the public this
winter by charging what they please
unless a retail price is set soon.
But there Is no indication that the
dealers intend to hold-up the public.
The latest order of the government,
directing railroad companies to give
preference to coal shipments for the
Northwest does not place an embargo
on the shipment of coal into Richmond
OF any other city. according to railroad
officials Saturday.
Coal May Not Come In.
There is possibility however of
some unforeseen thing happening
somewhere" which would prevent the
shipment of very much coal into Rich
mond.
Should this unforeseen thing" hap
pen It would depend solely upon the
present supply whether or not there
would be a shortage of fuel here.
Also the retail coal dealers of Rich
mond. who have been claiming they
would lose much money due to the
prices of coal as fixed by the presi-
dent at the mines. would be able to
charge what they please for the coal
they now have in storage.
That is, unless President Wilson
fixes retail price of coal before that
time.
Roads Are Affected.
The c. & o. railroad company, the
Norfolk & Western and the Pennsyl-
vania lines, which companies originate
coal at the mine mouth in West Vir-
ginia, Kentucky and Indiana, from
uhf foh ,,1o ic vn
affected by the latest order.
Part of the order is as follows:
First, now therefore by reason Of
the premises, the undersigned, in the
name of the president. orders and di-
named serving Lake Erie ports in the
transportation of bituminious coal for
tTGns-sI ipment by vessel to ports on
Lake Erie a. e eppy-oAisan shall
ther order, daily to give preference
and priority in the distribution of cars
TO coal mines served by them and
transport the same so that bitunlini-
Gus coal for shipment as afore-
said by lake SHALL have preference and
priority in transportation.
Traffic World" Quoted.
lHeIG Is tIilS pOSSlDlilly uOWeNSA, ,
according to THE Traffic World" a
magazine devoted to the interests of
railroads.
THE priority of transportation will
give the Northwest coal-if the Canad-
ians, who have been diverting a con-
siderable quantity of the fuel started
for the Northwest do not devise some
method of grabbing it. Under the coal
price order of the president, promul-
gated on August %. the price f. o. b.
mines was established In theory this
is all the mine operators can obtain
for what they have to sell to the North
west
But if a Canadian interest desiring
coal appoints buying agent and pays
him a dollar ton for obtaining coal
for it, it will be hard to say that that
agent has split" with some one who
saw to it that that it got to the opera
tor who, unless he saw an opportunity
10 split commission with a purchas-
ing agent, might find he had no coal
to sell 10 the applicant rendering only
the amount fixed by the President.
President Has Power.
There Is nothing in the orders thus
far issued compelling the mine opera
tors to send their coal to the North
west. Under the food law however
the President has power to deal with
such a situation should it ever arise.
But there is nothing in the law COM
pelllng any one to order coal and the
statement was made that the orders
filed by the Northwest did not call for
as much coal as year ago.
The magazine also speaks Of the
rapidly depicting stock of railroad cars
in the hands of the railroads, with in
creased demands being made in trans
portation facilities daily