Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-05-07
COAL PRICES SOAR;
NO RELIEF VISIBLE
A Few Dealers Will Sell
Present Stock at Old
Price
U. S. ATTORNEYS OPINION

United States Attorney Francis Fisher
Kane said today that the consumer will con-
tnue to pay the added costs demanded as
the result OF the coal operators latest in
crease, or at feast until the Government
gives some form of relief.
Some Of the largest coal dealers in the
city, including Frank j, Mathers and the
George b. Newton Company disagree with
Mr.. Kane. Mr. Ma,hers said today that as
long as his yard supply lasted there would
be no Increase in the price per single ton
II was learned at the office of the George
u. Newton Company that coal would he sold
at the price prevailing yesterday until fur
ther action is decided upon,
Three of the largest operators thar sell
to dealers in this city have made AN in
crease of thirty cents per ton, and there
are indications that many Of the retailers
will make u proportionatc advance IN the
near future.
The Susquchauna Coal Company today
announced its quotations for prepared sizes
or anthracite coal for the month of May,
which are the same as net priCeS quoted by
Reading and Ichigh coal aud Navigation,
except on pea coal
For pea coal the Susquchanna Company
quotes 81 80 at the mines. ON 1hs size the
Readings price Is SEQ and the l.. &. and
Ms s3.1O.
'rhe present increase may he IN" op.
DpTluHe tllllc Tor the government 10 Sl'U
in said Mr. Kane. "or If not the Fed
cral Government, perhaps the state might
take advantage of the situation OF
course ! am speaking generally, providing
there is something which can be shown that
Is contrary TO Jaw So far as the De-
partment of Justice Is concerned, may say
We are keeping our eyes OPEN
The operators nave announced a general
advance. From Wilkes Barre. Ilazleton
Scranton and Reading come reports Of in.
"a 4 hN nj a
ton. Recently the carriers, Consgnees and
operators were asked by the Government
to furnish the United states Attorney in
this district with statements of their ship.
mcnts. These are to he Investigated, and
following the announcement Of the Federal
Trade Commission, an Investigation OF the
price boost will follow
INVESTIGATE SHORTAGE
The Anthracite Bureau of Information a
Wilkes Barre has not completed its com.
putation of the April shipments from the
PENNSYLVANIA fields The production, II is
said. however. will not fall far short Of the
record tonnage of March. From IGazlcton
comes the statement the cOllieries are being
worked fun time
While it il admitted to be true the con
sumption has greatly increased because OF
the proportionate Increase in the volume OF
business AT all Industrial plants, the reputed
shortage of coal Is said to be something the
Government has instructed its attorneys to
investigate. Yesterday information came
from Washington and with IL instructions
which sealed the lips Of the Federal officials
in this city: but with the Trade Commits.
sion active II Is understood the inVestiga.
lion will take ON an entirely new scope, or
at least the methods involved win be en-.
tirely different from any heretofore en-.
poyed.
Ward w. PlersOn yesterday declared he
had received complaints from several re-
unable to receive coal, "rhcre is something
radically wrong he said, for we have the
operators statement against this that ship
ments We're never heavier Instead Of In
creasing the price to consumers, the re-
taiers should, in all fairness. cut thciI
figures to conform to the price fixed by the
operators. inasmuch as they have already
taken time by the forelock and advanced
pea coal fifty cents ton and other pre-.
pared sizes SeNcnty-hve cents, even before
the operators announced their Increase
IN SCRANTON DISTRNCT
In the Scranton district, neither the
| Lackawanna. Erie the Delaware and
| Hudson have issued new price list, The
| Peoples COal Company, one Of the largest
independent operators. three weeks ago.
however, advanced the price on all sizes
| fifty cents ton. Al lIazletOn, the G.. h
! Markle cOlieries made the biggest jump, in.
! Creasing the cost of pea coal from S2.75 to
| $5 ton while stove and chestnut We're
! both advanced forty cents, The Lehigh
Valley Coal Company and the smaller col
| lieries have raised prices on all domestic
! sizes twenty-five cents. In the Wilkes
! Barre district prices advanced so the con-
! sumner has been compelled TO pay Gfteen
| cents ton more for coal than he did q
| year ago
| According to the report of the Trade
| Commission, the wage Increase granted the
miners should not cost the operators more