Arizona republican., 1917-08-23
OVER. PR|(;E: S|T()A T|()N
Republican A. p. Leased Wlrel

WASHINGTON, Aug 22.-At a three hour conference with the fed eraI trade commission today President Wilson took up the whole subject of war prices and went over in detail the commissions figures on production costs. Most of the time was given to a study of the commissions report just completed on the cost of producing steel
 Further measures Io control the coal industry came in for discussion and it was learned that last nights order fix ing prices for coal for the entire coun- try will be followed by others designed to give the government a complete con trol of the industry from mine to con- Sumer
 The president went to the tradf commission offices at 3 o'clock and re- mained until G. He found Commis- sioners Davies and Colver there and the conference began. Before it had gone far the commissioners called in Secretary Bracken and experts who have handled the cost accounting work. Together they explained to the presi- dent details of reports on coal, steel, copper and other basic materials, and outlined the work accomplished in get ting production costs on number of materials in which investigations have not been completed.
 For several days now the president l has given his attention almost entirely to the work of the trade commission. Officials with whom he has consulted are of the opinion that a definite price policy will be formulated soon. Coal probably will be finally disposed of | first and steel next.
 l The trade commissions steel inves- | tigation revealed that it will be almost 1 impossible to fix a price for steel, as ] was done in the case of coal. Varying costs in different plants make it i'm practicable, it is said, to make flat | price, and too, costs are continually | changing. The plan most favored by trade commission members is one un- der which the government would de- termine the cost of producing definite | orders and would pay fair percent age of profit on each order
 The chief disadvantage of this is that | it provides no plan for protecting the general public in it's purchases; and protection of the public, the president has emphasized, is one of the chief l aims of the administration in enforc- 1 ing a reduction in prices. The admin | istration, however is understood to 1 be standing behind the Pomerene bill pending in congress which would give | the government virtually the same
 powers in fixing prices on steel and | other materials as it now has in the case of coal.
 l To extend the governments control
 over coal the president has yet to fix bituminouS wholesale and retail prices and must issue regulations governing distribution and apportionment as be-
 tween different parts of the country
 Anthracite, too. it is understood, vii
 be taken up and prices fixed through
 out the industry. At present anthra
 cite prices at the mines are kept dowr
 under a voluntarg arrangement
 reached some months ago by the pro- ducers with the federal trade commis
 sion, but no way has been adopted fol dealing with wholesalers and retailers | Extension of coal control will brins l with it. it is understood, the appoint
 ment of a coal administrator, whose
 relation to the coal industry will bt
 about the same as that of Herber | Hoover to the production and distribu l tion of foods. So far the name of H
 A. Garfield, president of Williams col leSe, is the only one that has beer
 mentioned for the place
 The executive committee of the Ma tional Coal Operators Association , after an all-day meeting here today
 called a meeting of bituminous coa
 operators at Pittsburg, Pa, for nex
 Wednesday, to discuss their situation Reports tonight that operators il some districts were complaining tha ! the mines cannot be operated at tn
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