The sun., 1917-08-22
Presidents Radical Action
Is Protested by 400 Mine
Operators.
NAVY BENEFITS MOST
Virginia Fuel at $3.50 a Ton
Must Be Sold to Public at
$3.65 in Future.
WAR ON LABOR IS HINTED
''Figures Are Not Only Fair
and Just, but Liberal"
for 20 Districts.
NAVY BENEFITS MOST
WAR ON LABOR IS HINTED
Spectal Dsspatch to Tap sux

Special Dsspdtch to THp SuS
WARRINGTON. Aug. 81. - President
Wilson issued an order tonight fixing
the price Of bituminous coal in all pro-
ducing districts Of the country. The
United States. virtually cuts the price
in half. The country is divided into
twenty mine districts and every pro-
ducer in every district must market his
coal at the same price.
Figures show the actual reduction by
the Presidents order to be ~ per cent
in tho specific case Of Virginia coal.
which furnishes the general ratio of re-
duction. although the new price to the
navy Is so per cent Of the old. The
price of a long ton Of Virginia coal at
Is $2.20 a long ton plus $1.45 freight,
or 3365 at the pier &c per cent. of the
old price and a reduction Of "A per cent
A price of - a ton Is fixed for the
Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio
fields, which supply practically all the
coal used in the Eastern States. The
other prices range from $50 to 81 for
Alabama fields to 50 for Oklahoma.
These compare with a price Of 50 Of
the coal conference held here last June
and the same figure presented by the
West Virginia operators.
The prices fixed at the June confer
ence were substantial reductions from
the FIRST prices named by the coal men.
which ranged from $3.50 for West Vir-
ginia coal to 35.25 for the Pennsylvania
product. The market price for small
consumers has been in the neighborhood
OF the higher figure for several months.
Blow to 400 Coal Operators.
, The prices fixed tonight are practi-
cally 81 q ton below the scale drawn up
by the Peabody committee after a con-
ference with the 400 coal operators last
June. This was the conference at which
Secretary Lane praised the coal men
for their patriotic action in cutting their
prices and which subsequently brought
Mr.. Lane in sharp conflict with Secre-
tary Baker. who practically repudiated
the action of the conference
The prices now fixed are even below
| the price which Secretary Daniels agreed
to pay for the navy's coal. which was
$3.50 at the mine.
Statement by the President.
The Presidents statement said:
THE following scale OF prices is pre-
scribed for bituminous coal at the mine
! in the several coal producing districts,
1t is provisional only. 1t Is subject to
| reconsideration when the whole method
OF administering the fuel supplies OF the
country shall have been satisfactorily
organized and put into operation. Sub
sequent measures will have rs their oh
ject fair and equitable control Of the
distribution OF the supply and prices not
only at the mines, but also in the hands
of the middlemen and the retailers.
THE prices professionally arrived at
are fixed by me under the provisions Of
the recent act of Congress regarding
administering the food supply OF the
| country, which also conferred upon the
executive control of the fuel supply
They are based upon the actual cost OF
production and are deemed to be not
only fair and just but liberal as we'll
Under them the industry should nowhere
lack stimulation"
The prices T. o. b. at mines are as
follows: