The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-08-23
Some of Smaller Operators Say Federal Prices Will Force Their Mines to
 Close MIDDLEMEN WITH YARDS FULL WILL BE HIT VERY HARD Ultimate Consumer, However, Gets Most Satisfaction Out of An nouncement-Possible Effect
 on Miners

Consternation on the part of coal operators and unrestrain- able satisfaction on the part of the ultimate consumer.
 That was the effect of The Age Herald's announcement yesterday morning of the price of coal as proclaimed by Presi- dent Wilson.
 During the day operators from every county of the Birmingham district rushed to headquarters of the opera tors association, and each of them, without hesitation, declared that un- less relief was granted-and that very soon-it would be necessary that many owners place barriers across mine en- frances.
 Following the visit of Secretary Will son, during which all concerned are hopeful that the threatened strike In the coal fields will be amicably ad- justed, the operators will make an ef- fort to secure a revision of the Presi- dents figures. Their plans, for the present, are not made public
 PRICES ARE PROVISIONAL
 George Gordon Crawford, president of the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Rail- road company, while withholding statement of his opinion of the justice or injustice in the figures of the Presi- dent found satisfaction in the emphasis given by the chief executive to the ef- feet that his prices were provisional.
 Mir. Crawford, together with George B. Mccormack, president of the Pratt Consolidated Coal company; J. w. Me- Queen, vice president of the Sloss- Sheffield Coal company, and other prominent operators, feels that Presi- dent Wilson, following positive repre- sentation that his figures are prohibi- tive, will immediately revise them.
 It was intimated, however, by some |of the large operators and practically all the small, that before revision can be achieved incalculable damage to the industry will have been effected. It is a safe statement that not single operator in the Alabama field agrees that his prices will not deprive the coal industry of its invigoration, and that all of them, large and small, disa- gree with the executive in his belief that his prices will prove beneficial to anyone save the ultimate consumer.
 DAMAGE WILL BE OVER
 That the damage will be done before revision can be effected was a general expression of fear.
 representative of one of the most important companies of the district stated his case in the following man. ners
 We have contracts by which we agree to deliver coal at prices in ex- cess of those established by the Presi- dent. It is certain that these contracts will be vitiated Should we sue, juries would probably hold that we could not bind future purchasers to contracts calling for prices in excess of those the President had outlined
 "On the other hand, we have many contracts under the terms of which we agree to sell to large consumers at prices lower than those named by the President. There is no chance, accord ing to our belief that we would be able, were we to try, to obviate full filling the terms of the contracts"
 PETER STATES HIS CASE George Peter, who operates proper ties at Maylene, declared without equivocation that unless revision in the Presidents figures was soon author ized, he would be compelled to close down his establishment. He produces with free" labor the high grade Mon- tevallo coal.
 "We have never sold this coal" he said, for less than $3.50 per ton. Since last winter. the cost of labor has in creased 30 per cent. Should we add to former prices an increase of 30 per cent our product would be marketable at $4.50.
 'The President would require us to sell this grade of coal at $2.65. We can't produce it under present circumstances at that price. There would be, there- fore, nothing left for us to do but close down. My property represents my life's work"
 INVESTIGATION TOO TASTY In some quarters, dissatisfaction was expressed in that agents of the federal trade commission, recently In Birming- ham, inquired into the cost of produc- tion of only two companies. the Ten nessee and the Sipsey-the former of which is not to any great degree en- gagged in the commercial side of the coal business.
 Operators contended yesterday that it would be impossible for anyone equita5ly