Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-02
COAL PRICEPACT
OFF; WILSON ACTS
President Takes a Hand in
Wrangle- Agreement
Suspended
MAY PUSH CALDER BILL
Measure Providing for Govern
ment Control Of Supply Re-
garded With Favor
wAsIIINGToN- Inlv .

wAsHINGToN. July 2.
President Wilson today took hand b.
the attempt 10 eliminate the danrora whlct
are feared will come through lntorminginr
o. patriotism and prontcerng
The case Immediately In point IL the mat
ter Of coal prices
The President himself Il was lcarac1 on
highest authority today. ia not satisfied
that last weeks patriotic pr.cs-uNUg
agreement Of several hundred coal oprr.
ators will solve the problem OF the threat.
ened serious coal shortage and the matter
Of mounting prices
A. regut the prices agreed upon were
today suspended The matter is 90 be- held
IN abey1nce until the President goes thor
oaghly into this matter. which has already
caused the most serious split in Cabinet
ranks since the declaration Of war.
CALDER BILL FAVORED
one plan for solution which the Ad-
ministraton is considering is that sur-
gested In the calder bill. introduced some
days ago IN the House. This blll backed
wholeheartcdly by the Federal Trade COM
mission, would give The Government cHu-
uol OF all coal immediately 10 was m ned
The Government then would q d.afrIUutn 90
~ cost plus a profit parcaul1ra price
through the ordinary channels 10 hIg whole
nniers.
Under the bill the Government On effect
would say 20 Those Wholesaler. "IInr, Ia
your supply OF coal Ths cost to Hou w.I
be so much. You wll be permitted
certain percentage Of profit when you anll
10 your retail customers IN" latter. in
turn. wou d be closely watched a. sec what
prices they charged John = On and FrauN
Jones. Any attempt at boosting of prices.
which would apply supcr-prodr onywhcr"
along the line, would De met with refusal
BY the Government for such channels ~
distribute any more coal
II was suggested today that not uu'y
coal. but all kinds n ~ be thus regulated
under the law. There "a also strong ggutl-
ment today 10 push the bin TO passage im-
mediately the food control bi1 is out OF
the way
Even those who favor the Calder bin,
however said today 1t would be insufficient
unless the Government taKo7 charge also
OF all coal-carrying cars These men in-
sisted ears rs the answer 10 the coal and
fuel problem ct sufficient coal cars prop
erly distributed and kept property moving
10 and from the m,nna the men said and
coal prices automatically will drop, since
eufilcient coal can be always mined to
supply the nations domestic and export
wants.
This belief is held by at least two mcm-
bers Of the Interstate Commerce Cowm's-
sion, by nearly all OF the Federal Trade
Commission and by Secretaries Daniels and
Baker.
Secretary Of Interior Lane insists that
the matter Of cars is only one detail Lane
thinks labor is as big an issue.
BAKER AND DANIELS DISSENT
Baker and Daniels also believe the prices
agreed TO last week by the operators not
sufficiently low. Many Government heads
hold this samo view. Among them is At
torney General Gregory, who la opposed TO
permitting the coal operators 70 pool their
interests and thus ho lioniEcd as patriots
forEsettlng price that ig higher than the
GoSeinment has contracted for
II is thought likely the whole matter viii
be aired tomorrow when the Cabinet meets
the President.
IN the meantime other wranrlce arc
threatening Americas efficiency iu the war.
Chairman William Denmar. of the ship
ping board, and General Gaothals. hnaI of
the emergency shipping corporation. do not
egree' and so far the President has not
decided which he will support. Meanwhile.
the construction Of the new merchant U.pi
TO fly the American flag has been err.ouH-
hampered. The situation also has been COM
pileated by the great delay in congressional
action on legislation which the President
has demanded. his especially ig so i'm the
case OF the food bill and the revenue hul |
which are held up in the Senate. Al
though the food bill Is sure 10 be favorabIy
passed upon within n few days the drIav
admittedly has hampercd the plans of
Food Controller Hoover and his volunteer
aids. The taxes under the revenue law /
were TO take effect on July +. and 20 was
conceded today shat II would be four TO |
six weeks before the hill would reach the |
nnai vote.
PUBLICITY BUREAU I'm BAD"
The Creel committee named by President |
Wilson to secure proper publicity of the 4
news Of the war Is "in bad" with the War
Department as the result Of favoritign |
shown In allowing certain persons 10 print |
the news of the arrival of the American |
expedition at a French port IN the face Of |
a positive prohibition by Secretary OF War |
Baker As n result, the Creel Bureau ig /
barred from War Department news, which |
hereafter will be issued by General Nc |
Lntyre and will contain no reference what |
ever to troops that may be sent abroad