Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-09-08
Funds Derived by Sale Slack Coal Will Be Used for
 Boards Expenses. IF ANY LEFT WILL
 GO TO RED CROSS Revision of Prices Mined Tn Bernice and spadra
 Fields Requested.

Speclal to The Graphlc.
 Little Rock, Ark, Sept. 6.-The U. s. Fuel Administrator for Arkansas. II. c. Couch, has succeeded in solv- ing the anthracite coal situation for the states comprising the Seventeenth District. MT. Couch's plan, which has been approved by Dr.. H. A. Garfield, U. $. Fuel Administrator, and is now in effect, provides solution of a problem that threatened heavy loss of production in the Bernce and Spadra anthracite coal fields of Ark ansas. At the same time the plan as worked out will also provide source of revenue which will assist material ly in defraying the expenses of the Fuel Administrations and the State Councils of Defense, and possibly the American Red Cross.
 From April 1 to June 10, this year the mines were shut down and there was no prospect of re-opening them, unless conditions could be relieved. This actual and threatened loss of production, due to the fact that the mines were unable to operate more than one third of the time, had be- come most serious and public welfare demanded solution of a problem that was rapidly becoming acute. People were clamoring for coal, and the min es were powerless to meet their re- quirements. It was not a question of personal interest with any one, but a mobilization of all forces and a CO., ordination of resources, for the com mon cause, to the end that demands might be met, and domestic supply should not be curtailed.
 Ask Revision Prices.
 Application had been made to the Administration for a revision of prices of anthracite coal mined in the Bernice and Spadra coal fields of Pope and Johnson counties, it being represented by the operators that an increase in price was imperative, due to the insufficient market for the slack production, which constitutes 40 to 50 per cent of the total output.
 The applicant further stated that heretofore the slack had been utiliz- ed bv the zinc smelters of Northern Oklahoma and Southern Kansas as a flux in smelting ores. Before the war, approximately sixty per cent of the supply was used for galvanizing purposes. but now almost the. total output of iron and steel is being diver 1 ted to the manufacture of essential war products, and practically no galvanized iron is being manufactur- ed. Because of these conditions, the l operators claimed they were unable to dispose of more than one third of their sladk production, which neces- sarily curtailed their production of I prepared sizes for domestic use.
 Only Field In The West.
 This is the only hard coal field west of the Mississippi. All of the arN thracite coal used in this zone, com prising the state of Arkansas. Mis- souri. Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas comes from the Bernice and Spadra field of Arkansas: Last yea, the Bernice mines produced 109. .442 tons, of which 46,430 tons was slack The Snadra mines produced 287.03a tons of which 143,511 was slack Two. thirds of the slack, or about 116.90C tons. valued. at approximately S250,- 900, being greatly in excess of the to- tai net profits of the mines, it's vast agewould make operation prohibitive with waiting orders for prepared sizes sufficient to keep the mines busy for several months.
 The zoning system prohibits the movement of Pennsylvania anthracite which amounts to about 100000 tons annually, except by allotment or special permit, into this territory, anc therefore the six states of the zone are dependant upon the Arkansas field for their supply of hard coal.
 Acting upon the evidence and argu ments advanced, the Fuel Administra- ition granted an increase i effective July 10. in the price of prepared sizes at the Rernice mines of one dollar pei ton. and at the Spadra mines of $1.5( per ton, in order to maintain the op eration of the mines at their full caps city. This increase in price was based upon the statement of the, operators that 42.41 per cent of the Bernice pro duction is slack. of which they have a market for only B per cent, making necessary a wastage of 67 per cent that 50 per cent of the total product ion of the Spadra mines is slack: witl an available market for onlv 32 .pel cent, and a consequent wastage of 6e per cent of the total slack production In view of these conditions, the ,suggestion was made by Mir. Coucf sanctioned bv Dr. Garfield, approved bv the six State Administrators o1 the 17th district. and agreed to after