Evening journal., 1917-08-24
COAL TO
COST CONSUMER
MORE Than EVER
lContlnued From First Page

4 4
TO regulate the country's coal bust
ness under the authority conferred
upon him today by the President. The
effect should be 20 bring about
considerable reduction IN next win
ters coal bills as compared with
/ what the average consumer paid last
( winter
/ Coal Prices Are Set.
The prices fixed for anthracite fol-
J lows:
White ash grade. broken. $4.55i
/ egg. S4.45: stove. S4.70; chestnut,
$3.50; pea, 81.
Red ash grade. broken. S4.75; egg,
S4.65; stove. $3.50; chestnut, $3.50;
pea. S41O
Lykens Valley grade. broken. So
egg, $3.50: stove, $3.50, chestnut,
/ $3.50; pea S4.35.
Jobbers are 10 be allowed a margin
OF 10 cents a ton on biuminous AMI
20 cents a ton for anthracite east Of
/ Buffalo West OF Buffalo a margin
Of 80 cents Is fixed. A screening
charge OF cents may be made on
water shipments az Atlantic or lake
ports Where a given shipment OF
coal is resold by two or more job
! uNAn ANNll NhAul AAltl klAA AANnA ANA %
ceed the amounts named.
The prices are for coal produced
and sold by che large anthracite COM
panies. for the most rart owned by
the railroad companies, which con-
troll so per cent. OF the production.
The smaller independent concerns
arc allowed 10 exceed the prices fixed
for heir competitors by rs cents a
NIsa.l Il HnaHH NnH
hidden to buy coal from the larger
producers, nor can dealers and sell
ing agents sell coal mined by the
railroad company on a basis OF the
pricel allowed the independents.
Licensing System.
Mr. Garfield said tentative plans
had been drawn up providing for
three things. the expansion Of the
mines 10 increase production. the IL
censing of iobbers ard middlemen and
the fair treatment Of retailers.
He said these plans provided for a
licensing system for jobbers similar
10 the licensing system 10 be cm-
lployed under the food administration
II is recognizeS that to license retail
: coal dca ers would involve an enor-
nous task OF supervision. However
the government is proTcred TO do this
IL Il finds IL necessary. Il believes
Z however that the basis has now been
established for a universal price foI
coal and that the information which
tho public Will now have should aci
3 automatically In restricting the profits
] of retailers TO Q fair basis
p Another plan which the government
4 has In mind is 10 organize corpor-
- alton similar TO the grain corporation
3 which would buy coal from individual
j. mines and sell it TO the pubic as
y price regulator.
The prices fixed for anthracite or
T practically the same in many in
! stances as have prevailed recently a
y the mines. II has been known 70
some time that conditions IN the an
thracite field were far different fror
= those in the bituminous field In tha
= no such mnrgin ras being rcaped b.
= the producer. Nor have the margin
!. Of the jobbers Of anthracite been mucl
. in excess Of those fixed yesterday b.
: the President except in the pan,
4 months of last winter. when in SOM
e instances they went up as high as 9.
% cents.
e JObbers' Margin.
% The margin allowed the jobbers Il
= in accordance with suggestions con
p Itnined in a letter sent out by the Fed
r eral Trade Commission TO jobbers OF
d June g.
e While yesterdays regulations affec
directly ony the producers and job
'- bers. II is the retail dealers in anthra
e cite who are in reality being aimed at
i- Investigation by the Trade Commis
d, sion hes shown that last winter re
10 tailers in New York we're taking as {
l. margin as much as S335. In tina
IS case the dealer was paying S5.65 To-
o coal and charging 80 for It. while III
ljObbers margin wns 40 cents. Th
u leverage freight rate from the nine
10 to New York is S1.45 a ton. TO whicl
q should, be added 20 cents for lighter
- agc. This would make a ton OF whit
ash broken coal under the new price
!, cost a New York retailer S6.35, plu
u the 20 cents margin OF the jobber. o
I, a total of S655.
The schedules are 10 60 into effec
Immediately. as do the btuminOu
4 prices. pending further investigation
. and determination OF them by IN
= President and his advisers.
a The biggest problem ahead OF tn
= coal administration. as seen by on
l. cials who have studied the situation
v is the lnbor situation The genera
IT reduction OF prices in tho bituminoc
fields probably means that labor WI
n- be disappointed in many requests 70
S. wage increases based on the hig
d. prices producers have been receivin
n for their output.
Power in Strikes.
r. II there are strikes and productio
OF is reduced the government can tax
" over and openete the mines. but II ha
Is no power to compel labor to worl
Ohcials OF the government and labo
~ representatives are conducting negC
a. t'ctions over this problem. Som
" operators have declared It will b
!, impossible for them to grant wage II
creases under the new scale of price
/, cnd throughout the middle west an
= in other parts OF the country generi
coal mine strikes are pending.
N West Virginia operators. meeting
n. New York yesterday. pledged the
K ful support to tho government an
re voted to send representatives TO NEE
OF ing Of operators at Pittsburgh nei
a. Wednesday. Their resolutions recon
s. mended that the Pittsburgh confe
ie ence name a committee TO sit
IT Washington and give every Gsd to Il
government
Early extension Of government col
itrol TO fuel oils was predicted la