Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-09-17
GARFIELD TO FIX RETAIL PRICES
ON Get. AND LICENSE
DEALERS.
ADMINISTRATOR TELLS
PLAN TO MEET SHORTAGE
Production Of 5000 Companies to be
Pooied-Some Of Untitled Contracts
May be Set Aside For Redistribution
Government to Have "Coal Pile"
and Allot Portions to States.

Washington. Sept. 17-Facing a
shortage of fuel, caused by the short
age of cars and labor. DR.. Harry A.
Garfield, national fuel administrator,
is to reQuisition in the name of the
government millions of tons Of coal
representing a material percentage OF
the production of the 5000 mining COM
panies in the country.
This reQuisiioned supply Of spot"
coal will be Withheld in large part from
consumers who have contracted for
their coal and will be turned over by
the national administrator to the state
fuel administrators and their subordi-
nate local committees for distribution
10 consumers without contracts or
without coal to meet their needs.
Dealers May Face Loss.
The retail price of both anthracite
and bituminous coal will be fixed
about Oct. l by President Wilson in
accordance with DIR. Garfields recon-
mendations. II is expected that IN
many instances these retail prices will
be lower than the prices now being
charged by dealers and that some deal
ers who have purchased high priced
coal will sustain losses.
At about the same time changes in
the tentative prices of soft and hard
coal at the mine recently promulgated
by President Wilson will be announced.
This will be the result of more thoro
investigation OF production costs In
various localities. Likewise the retail
prices are to be tentative and will be
amended wherever injustice TO deal
ers or consumers is established.
Administrator to Fix Profit.
Retail dealers in both bituminous
and anthracite coal will be licensed by
the government to sell coal a; the pri-
ces fixed by the president for each
locality" DR.. Garfield announced. The
price will be the cost at the mine
plus the freight charge, plus the job
ber's commission fixed by the presi-
dent, plus the cost OF local delivery.
plus a prof, to the retail dealer TO be
fixed by the president Every con-
sumner will know exactly what he -
10 pay for his coal to his local retail!
dealer.
The license OF the local retail deal
er will specify the price he Is TO charge
for coal and include simple rules which
are now being framed II the dealer
charges more than the fixed price Tor
the coal or violates any OF the rules
complaint by a consumer to the local
will cause the matter 10 pc
laid before the state administrator II
dealer Is found TO have violated the
terms OF his license. a report VIII De
made to Washington, the national fuel
will revoke the license,
and the government will requisition
any stock of coal the offending dealer
may have on hand for distribution in
his community thru the local commit
tee.
we shall be ready to license retail
dealers by the time retail coal prices
are fixed. One OF the license provt-
sions will be a reduced charge to con-
sumers who deliver their own coal.
Shortage of Soft Coal Threatens.
..I have not gone into the anthracite
situation thoroly yet" said DR.. Car
field. but my inclination Is to pro-
coed along the same lines as In the oi-
luminous situation, which / have now
pretty well in hand. II find the ele-
ments of the anthracite and oitumi.
nous problems essentially Identical
will be disposed to adopt the same
policy in both cases.
In the case of bituminous coal we
are facing a shortage OF supply caused
by both the car shortage and the Ia
bor shortage. There is not in sight
sufficient quantity of coal TO supply
the needs OF the country adeSiusi:
unless production is materially IN
creased and the transportation situa-
ton improved.
consequently, in order to do justice
TO consumers and prevent want ana
business disaster It is incumbent upon
the government to apportion the Visi-
BILE supply OF coal fairly.
Government to Supply Consumers.
ITO insure consumers being supplied
with coal, the fuel administrators needs
what we may figuratiyely call a coal
nile. and this am proceeding to OBJ
tain. I know Just how much coal is
being produced by the 5000 companies.
and it Is from this supply that l shan
draw for my pile of spot coal with
which to meet the wants Of consumers.
within a fortnight 1 expect to know
nretty definitely how much fuel IS
needed by consumers who are unable
70 get fuel or are not assured OF their
SUNNY for the winter Then 1 shall
know how much coal must requisition
from the 5000 companies. II the per-
centage Of the first requisition Is not
sufficient. / shall requisition more and
perhaps more as times goes on.
80 far as have been able to as
certain, about IS or so per cent OF the
bitIminous coal supply has been con-
tracted for by big and little consumers.
The remaining 20 and rs per cent Is
No: sufficient 10 surS!y the need OF
those consumers who have no contract
unless production materially Increases.
I have received reports showing a con-
siderable increase Of production, 80 that
the actual shortage we are facing may
be cut down almost to the vanishing
point, but in order to be prepared for
whatever they are, we
are compelled to assume that there L.
not enough cuai To 30 "a around = AZ
existing contracts are carried out.
Although Mr.. Garfield did not state
even approximately how much coal he
expects to requisition from each pro-
ducing company, it is clear from his
discussion Of the subject that the
amount will be in excess Of rs per
cent.
May Akscaste Contracts.
when the president formally requi-
s;sions the coal. each company will be
required to ret aside at once and hold
for the disposition of the fuel admins
traitor the percentage Of his output
apecined.. Dr.. Garfield said. TT IL not