New-York tribune., 1918-11-10
War Stress Brought Output
125,O00,000 Tons Be-
yond the Normal
Seek Gar6eld's Aid
Operators Desire Price Fixing
Continued for Year After
Armistice Signing
By Theodore Nj. knappen

y L.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 9.-Bituminous
coal producers seem to be more
alarmed over the after-the- -armistice
price question than any other class of
producers who have been stimulated to
increased production to meet war ne
cessities.
They fear that they are confronted
by an imminent slump in prices. They
have conferred with Fuel Administra-
tor Garfield, and have made definite
emergency relief suggestions to him.
They have appointed an exports
committee to consider the possibilities
Of foreign outlets. This committee
has held informal sessions here, and
will hold its first formal meeting in
New York on November Is.
Pessimists in Saddle
] There are optilnsts among the coal
men, but the pessimists seem to be in
the saddle just now. The way they
look at the situation is that the United
States is now producing about 125, ,000,-
900 tons of soft coal above the normal
output.
The coal operators have been putting
fuel in response to maximum prices,
which have un5uestio onably allowed eX-
ceedngly liberal profits 10 the good
! mines. and some profit TO the poor
ones.
Thousands of new mines have sprung
into existence, the capacity Of old ones
has been increased, and there will be
q strong tendency for the output Of
coal to continue at not far from the
present rate. But the maximum price
has been maintained, simply because
the natural economic pressure would
have made the price considerably
higher. It is substantial top, but
there is no bottom below.
The pessmists fcresee a collapse in
. demand with the signing of the armis-
tice, an immense surplus of coal on
hand and accommodating and a debacle
OF prices. They look now with envy
at the wheat farmers, who have guar
anteed price for their product-a price
that must be made good by government
purchase of all wheat that is ocered
at the established price.
So they went to Mr.. Garfield and told
him that the fuel administration ought
g1ing Of peace terms, and that during
tho interval they ought to have mini
mum price established. They told him
that they considered it unjust that the
government should keep repressive
hand upon them during the war and
give them no supporting hand upon the
return of peace. Mr.. Garfield gave his
callers very little satisfaction OH the
price question. but was willing to dis
cuss reconstruction at length.
Reconstruction Laws Coming
IN this connection Mr.. Garfield left
with his callers the impression that the
administration might soon propose
series of laws designed to control raw
materials il, the interval between the
state of war and the complete return OF
norma! conditions.
The coal men sec more ghosts in this
possible raw material programme.
They link Il with the following state
ment attributed by the Black Diamond,
the Chicago Coal Trade Publication, to
President Wilson.
"After the war it is the intention to
zone the world the way the United
States has ben zoned for coal. Com
modities are not going to be allowed
to travel beyond their natural transit
zone, to conflict with and destroy the
markets Of other people, who can better
sell in those other zones.
"But if there is found in any place
& commodity which all the people need.
that commodity will become instantly
the property of the world. and cease
to be that of private individuals"
The coal producers see wonderful
opportunity in foreign trade, but they
are wondering whether they are going
to be cut off from their possible mar
kets by artificial restraints, and some
OF them are even wondering whether
the American coal resources are to be
declared an international asset.
One student Of the coal price prob
lem is advocating Congressional action
tc authorize the coal men to combine
TO establish and maintain fixed prices
al the mines, the same TO be ascer-
tanned by the same system the Fuel
Administration has used in determin-
ing the maximum price
Others are camoring for special ex-
port assistance and free field for
American coal all over the world.
These are the coal optin,ists. A we'll
Informed and very thoughtful member
Of this group said to-day that he could
foresee not far distant time when the
! United States could find a market for
25OOuO, O0O tons Of export coal an
nually. He says that France and Italy
will require immense quantities of our
coal, and that England will be hard
put to it to take care of her own re-
Guirements, leaving to the United
States the supplying of all the markets
that formerly we're replenished from
the British mines
His chief fear is that some natural
resourcer" will now arise with plan
Tor conserving coal that will have the
effect of shutting the American coal
mines out of the export trade. In view
OF the fact that the United States has
enough coal to meet its requirements
Tor 1000 years. such course seems
to him the extreme of folly.
! But even the optimists concede that
unless minimum price is soon estab-
J ilshed the coal industry will have Sly
+ or nine months fchaos when the war
/ demands let up, when the guiding hand
OF the fuel administration is with
| drawn. when the zones are no more and
/ the fight for markets will be a free
! fora
Where Mystery Exists
So the coal men. like all other pro-
duoers who have been operating under
artificial conditions during the war.
are anxious TO kno what. if any. arc
; the Administration plans for supple.
| meEting legislation TO covar tho tu.;-