Arizona republican., 1917-10-28
WILSON GRANTS HIGHER PRICE FOR SOFT COAL
Republican A. p. Leased Wirel

WASHINGTON, Oct. 21.--President 45 cents ton in the price of bitum- inous coal at virtually all mines in the country. effective at o'clock Mon day morning. The new price will ab- sorb wage raises recently agreed upon between operators and miners in the central competitive and other fields.
 The presidents order provides that the increase shalt not apply in case of existing contracts providing for an increase in price to cover any raise in miners wages. Neither will it apply in distrciss where miners and opera tors fail to agree upon a miners pen alty provision satisfactory to the fuel administration.
 Million of dollars of increased cost to consumers is involved in the order, which was based upon recommenda- tions made to the president by Fuel Administrator Garfield, after a careful survey Of conditions in all districts. The order refers specially only to the wage agreement entered into at the conference i'll Washington October 6 between operators and miners in the  nois. Indiana and Pennsylvania, but wages throughout the country are largely based on those paid in the cen ! tral district
 The presidents order fOlloWs:
 The sale of prices prescribed August 2l, i917 by the president of the United States for bituuninous coal at the mine, as adjusted and modified by order of the United States fuel administrator to meet exceptional conditions in cer- tain localities, is hereby amended b4 adding the sum of 45 cents to each of the prices so prescribed or SD adjusted or modified, subject. however, to the | following express exceptions: This increase in prices shall not apply to any coal sold at the mine En- der an existing contract containing provision for an increase in the price of coal hereunder in case GA all in- crease in wages paid to miners.
 ''2-This increase in prices shall not apply in any district in which the operators and miners fail to agree upon penalty provision satisfactory to the iuel administrator for the automatic collection or fines in the spirit of the agreement entered into between the operators and miners at Washington October 6, 1917.
 The order shall become effective al : a. m. on October 29, 1917.
 In his letter to the president recom- mending the price increases pr. Gar field said that the wage raises aggre- gating fifty per cent to miners and IS per cent to the best laborers over the wages of April l, 1914, were not dis proporate to the advance in the cost of living. 1 1ino ho lai, that in fixing prices for mine coal, it was intended to allow a fair profit and i that under the new wage scale exist ing prices would not admit of such t profit.
 Government reports show that 363, . 800, 900 tons of bituminous coal were mined in the first eight months of 1917, or an average ot 45.437, 900 tons month ly. At this rate the new price increase
 will cost consumers ,out 240,000,0 GOO q year or s20,000,00 a month.
 in reaching his conclusion, Dr. Gar i field wrote:
 T have been guided particularly by l the provisions agreement intended to 1 secure an increased and uninterrupted ! production of coal
 | Dr. Garfield referred to the stipula- tion in the agreement, mentioned in ! l ing to work the prescribed eight hours
 a day for at least five days a week
 would be penalized. the fines to be
 atomatically deducted from their
 wages, and said that representatives
 If the miners union had assured him
 that with miners working that length U. lIne there would be no shortage oi | coal
 The recent wage agreement is for 1 the period of the war and not to eX-
 ceed two years from April 1, 1918" and is subject to ratification of the nexl | mepnial convention of the Union mint
 workers of America. Dr. Garfield de- clared however, he has been assured
 tIie convention viii approve.
 The fixing of provisional rices by the
 resident in August was understood al
 the time to be subject to revision by
 the fuel administration.