New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-05-09
RUSSELLCONF|DENT
We Will HAVE COAL
State Fuel Administrator De-
SCribeS How Prices Are Fixed

Hartford, May 9.-How the price
Of coal is fixed for the different COM
| Inunities Of the state and some Of
the complicating features of this war
time regulation were discussed today
| by Thomas w. Russell, federal fuel
administrator for Connecticut. In the
course of the interview he took the
| opportunity to express confidence
| tnat there will be an adequate supply
| Of anthracite coal to supply the win
ter needs of all those who wish to Sc
cure their coal in advance of the
caid weather.
Describing the methods of price
fixing, Mr.. Russell said: I'VE secure
= report from the local fuel commits
sion giving the retailers closest pos
sible cost of doing business in that
locality and recommending a retail
price estimated on the cost of doing
business, Inasmuch as freight rates
in this state vary as much.~as fifty
cents from the mines to different
cities and the average cost of team
ing coal varies i'll different commun-
tiles it is our practice to check up
recommendations furnished by the
local fuel committee and in whatever
few cases 5" necessary change the
ut is our purpose as far as pos:
sible to see that the, profits per ton
realized by the retail dealers are
about. the same in one locality as
another. The prices in the larger
cities are figured by assuring a net
profit above all expenses of between
80 and 40 cents a ton, which does
not seem to us excessive.
THE situation is still further, COM
Heated i'll number of cities OH
Long Island Sound which receive
nearly their entire coal supply from
! harges which tow the coal from New
York piers. A number of these cities
manifest natural surprise and curl
| osity at the announcement of new
riccs because in many cases 1T has
been necessary to make the new
p,ices higher than the existing, prices.
THE reason for this IS the mater
| ial increase made in towing rates.
| New Haven is paying u towing rate
| Of IS cents as against 5S conts paid
| last year. New London's rate is S1.25
| compared to a previous rate Of "a
cents In addition to the increase in
increase in towing rates there has
been a very large increase in
| demurrage rates which are consider
ably more than doubled 1t is my
personal belief that some rates eSpe-
ciallv the demurrage rates are high
| er than necessary.
| Replying to q question regarding
| the delivery of anthracite coal III TINS
| state the fuel administrator eX-
blamed that the entire oversight OF
| distributing anthracite coal mao peeh
| delegated bv Dr.. Garfield, the federal
| fuel administrator to a so-callcd fuei
| administration Anthracite commit
| fee consisting Of three of the largest
| ,o+lr aci+o oparatorS in the business.
| Their nlan is to allot to cach town
| and city definite amount o." co''
| h,cod as far as possible on the pop
| u1a tio,, of that locality and they have
| ,u,dortaken to see that the amount of
| coal allotted is received by each COM
munity
| .Jrnder these circumstances said
| Nh. Russell, Il am confident before
| winter each community in Connect-
! cut will receive an adequate supply
| through it's retail dealers in spite oil
the temporary delays in some locali-
| ties AS it happens a number OF COM
munities did not receive as much
| coal last month as they were entitled
| TO. This was due to tenn porary condl-
| lions like the railroad embargo.
am confident that the shortage in any
| given locality will be made UP, pefofe
| winter. ] am hopeful that before
Tho winter season we will have a fair