Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-10-16
Wide Variance in Coal
Prices on NeLU Basis


Continued from Page One
companies and forty-four from independ-
ents.
In discussing the situation Mr. Kunkei
said:
on independent coal we are paying
from seVenty-nve cents 90 ninety-fve
cents a ton more than the railroad COM
panies ask on most Of our coal we pay
ninety-five cents premium as we use
Marklc coal This company gets the
scvcnty-hve cents charge allowed as in
dependent operators and twenty cents
additional as jobbers
our gross margin, between the cost of
coal to US and that charged the con-
sumer, is $l.60 "a ton on egg, stove and
nut sizes and about $500 on pea. testi-
fed recently before the coal commission
in Washington that my handling costs
were Sl.66 a ton. on this basis i stand
TO lose on all but pea coal at the proper.
tion of large independent shipments.
II the scvcnty-ivc-cent premium al
lowed the dealers Is cut Off | could cut
my prices forty-hve cents ton and still
make. a fair profit There is no reason
for this sevcnty-iive cent charge of the
independents II is exorbtant, and will
keep the whole retail situation upset
until It is remcdiCd.
Kunkels prices are: Egg coal $3.50;
stove. SS.I5; nut. SS.75, and pea, $3.50, or
no change from prices prevailing up to
yesterday.
Charles X. Scull secretary Of the Phila-
delphia Coal Exchange announced every
y
coal. 20 per cent Of which was subject 10
the jobber's fee OF twenty cents in excess Of
the seventy-fve-cent operators allowance
Scull predicted n drop OF fifty cents a ton
on all sizes on the elimination of the inde-
pendent price SCulls prices are: Egg
$3.50 stove. SS.75; nut. SS.75, and pea, S7.S5
or without change.
S. y. Hall president Of tho Bruner COM
pauy, was another who claimed his prices
were being held at the high level through
the fact that virtually his entire supply
was from Independent origin. Further than
that. Han said he was getting only so per
cent Of normal supplies. Bruner's prices are;
Egg. IS 10; stove, $40; nut, $S.65, and pea
$3.50.
The reduction Of sixty cents a ton ordered
by the Government last month on pea coal
following permission tn raise It ninety cents
has dropped out of sight entirely in the
computation Of prices under the new ar
raugcment issued to dealers later. Only one
local concern has maintained the cut. That
is the Mason Hef1in Coal Company in Ken
sington, which dropped from $3.50 TO $500
Doctor Garfield, in Washington, said
1t is our duty to administer the fuel
situation 10 the best interests of the
whole country, and there is no legal
authority except tho President TO fix coal
prices. Agreements between operators or
dealers naturally will not be Of value, as
il Is our duty to control distribution
despite plans Of others to the contrary.
Agreements made by producers or dis
tributors may be entirely proper and
legal, provided they are approved first by
the local committee on distribution, then
by the state fuel administrator and
finally by myself All other agreements
are worthless, They will not hold good.
Doctor Garfield then entered a discus
sion Of the coal distribution situation
throughout the country. lie asked that
domestic consumers of coal when unable
to obtain adequate quantities should COM
muniCate at once with his office, giving the
amount required and where it is wanted.
The administrator continued:
The trouble has been that many con-
sumcrs and communities have sent us
only the most general information about
their needs. This has neCessitated addi-
tioual correspondence to learn just what
they want and where they need it most
! would like the American people to look
upon the fuel administration in the same
light as a coal dealer. If they tell us
their wants we will meet them. We are
in entire control of the available coal and
are determined to distribute il in the most
effective and equitable manner
Doctor Garfield said he had heard moth
ing of a threatened strike among coal min
ers i'm Missouri Kansas and Arkansas
"If it's true. Wen have to send for them
and talk it over" he said