New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-18
u. S. Control
OF Coal Supply
May Be Near
Wilson Makes Personal In.
vestigation of Nations
Fuel Problem

WASHINGTON, Aug. 17.-Govern-
ment control Of the coal industry ap-
peared imminent to-day when Presi-
dent Wilson turned his personal atten-
tion to the subject and heard the mine
operators and miners presentation Of
the situation. The interests of the
public now will be presented by the
Federal Trade Commission, which has
Just completed its investigation of coal
production costs.
Provisions of the food control bill
giving the President power to fix coal
prices from the mine to the consumer
and investing in him authority to
requisition all coal produced and sell 1t
to the public are expected to be put
into operation almost Immediately.
The Trade Commissions report, it
was learned tonight, will say that at
present prices coal operators, jobbers
and retailers are reaping exorbitant
profits. and that inequitable distribu-
tion is adding to the costs in many
parts of the country.
Fear Too Low Prices
Operators and miners who oppose
government price fixing in the fear
that prices will be pushed down to too
low level put their case before the
President to-day through Francis S.
Peabody, chairman Of the Coal Produc-
ton Committee of the Council of Ma
tional Defence, and John P. White,
president of the United Mine Workers
of America. Their idea of solution Of
the situation, as expressed to the Presi-
dent, is that a voluntary arrangement
be made between operators, miners and
the government and that no move be
made toward enforcement of the dras-
tic provisions of the food bill.
The coal situation, according to Of
ficials who have studied the subject, is
in a more chaotic state now than il
has been at any time. Miners through
out the country are threatening to
strike unless their wages are raised to
give them a share of the enormous
profits made. Prices are soaring de-
spite the agreement made recently be-
tween government heads and the oper-
ators and many sections of the country
face a winter with scanty supplies OF
fuel.
The programme many officials believe
President Wilson is most likely to
adopt under the power TO control the
industry would provide that the gov
ernment commander all coal produced,
dividing the country into districts and
fixing a minimum price for each dis
trict. Under this plan there would be
from seven to twelve districts. and in
each district price would be set based
upon an average cost of production
plus a definite percentage of profit.
The districts output would be pooled.
and in this way every operator would
get the same percentage of profit, what
ever might be his cost of production.
One element that is giving officials
here most concern is the evident in
tention of labor to force immediate
wage increases. Members of the Trade
Commission, it is understood, believe
the prices to be determined for coal
should give a wide enough margin OF
profit TO insure labor fair wage.
Operators blame the unequal dis
tribution of coal of the railroads, which
hhey say are not distributing cars
promptly. This difficulty, officials be-
lieve, will be overcome by proper ad-
ministration of the new law giving
the Interstate Commerce Commission
wide powers in placing cars.