The sun., 1918-11-27
FEDERAL COAL MEN
BALKED CITY PLAN
DR.. Day Tells Senate Commit
tee That New York's Poor
VIII Pay Heavy Price.
REJECT CULM BANK IDEA
Jobbers Blamed for Scheme to
Lay $4,000, 1000 Assessment
on Small Buyers.
nn,ctar pnsrateA 70 TMs sun.

wAsHINoroN, Nov. z6.-Tne plans VI
the New York city administration 70
obtain and insure sufficient domestic
fue, TO meet the demands Of the sever
est winter were deliberately blocked
by the Fuel Administration. 30 DR..
Jonathan Day. Commissioner OF Mar
kets Of New York city. to-day told the
Senate Committee on Manufactures
now investigating the admitted short
age OF anthracite.
The supply. according to Or. Day.
was to have been obtained from the
culm banks Of the Lehish Valley dis
trict Of Pennsylvania This supply 1t
was planned to make supplementary to
the commercial intake OF coal for al
uses in New York. 1t was 70 nave
been the poor mans insurance against
q repetition Of the uncomfortable conoi-
tons which prevailed last winter In the
metropolis, when from December
until we'll along In February New York
was bound in snow and ice.
100000 Tax on Poor.
DR.. Days suggestion that the Fuel
Administration officials were making
promises beyond their power TO make
good amazed the committee. Pursuing
the question, Senator Kenyon Uowa)
ELECTED the statement that by reason
Of the interference with the plans to
acquire culm pile coal the poorer
classes in New York may be compelled
to pay at least 50 00o, 900 more for their
coal than II the municipal scheme had
been permitted to 60 through. Senator
Kenyon demanded to know who would
get the profits out OF this increase In
the price Of domestic fuel.
THE jobbers and distributors would
get It," answered DR.. Day.
The suggestion was carried through
the examination Of DR.. Day that the
Fuel Administration had deliberately
played the game Of the jobbers and
coal distributors and suppressed the
aim Of the New York city government
to insure the less we'll to do Of ade-
quate domestic fuel at fair price.
DR.. Day dwelt on the fact that the
Fuel Administration itself had been
made UP Of coal producers and men
whose every interest lay in the coal
industry and said he found II out Of
the question to obtain fair treatment
for the city's coal plan.
Finding early in the summer that 1t
was not possible to obtain for a city
supply either anthracite or bitumi-
nous coal the city had entered into
the contract for culm pile coal. The
contract called for 100000 tons. Be
~ T,,I, hn
advised that the contract would not
be filled. DIR. Day attributed this nom
support Of the city's plan to the job
bers and coal dealers.
The city authorities. despite this
setback. pursued their course and tried
to obtain the fulfilling of the contract.
Consent was finally acquired from
Reeve Schley. acting Fuel Adm!nistra-
tor for the city, and a contract was
signed with Tudor Williams, Fuel Ad-
ministrator at Scranton, for 1000 tons
or culm coal or run Of mine coal paw
ing inspection fees and a fixed price
OF $4.25 ton. Mayor Hylan's war
board was called into conference and
authorized DR.. Day to consummate the
the contract agreement.
Mysterious Change OF Mind,
Arrangements were made for the
city To construct breakers and for the
washing OF the coal at Scranton at an
estimated cost of $4,000. At this
point Mr.. Schley. according to DR..
Day, apparently reversed his consent
by changing his mind DR.. Day there
upon went to Tudor Williams and
found there that there had been an
other change of mind Williams ex-
planned his change on the ground that
the Fuel Administrator for New York
previously had changed his mind.
The Lehigh Coal Sales Companv
was next approached. and an agree
ment to furnish 100000 tons was
made. predicated on the consent or
the Fuel Administrator. The replv
from the administration was that 4,
had plans of its own for taking care
OF the city coal situation" DR.. Dav
was asked by Senators what those
plans were. II have never been able
to find out" he replied.
DR.. Day explained to the committee
that $ll per ton will be the minimum
price to tenement dwellers In New
| York this winter II the coal Is carried
away and $l4 where delivery ia made