Evening star., 1918-02-28
LOWER ANTHRACITE
PRICES ARE LIKELY
Regulation of Distribution Here
After April I Is Problem
Facing Mr.. Weaver.
NEW SYSTEM IS SURE

I
garding Washingtons coal supply are
expected to be made within the next
few days by John L. Weaver. fuel ad-
ministrator for the District Of Colum-
| bia.
| The first is local reduction in the
price of anthracite. which is likely to
! be between rs and so cents ton.
The second is a policy regulating coal
distribution during the year. beginning
| April 1.
| Mr.. Weavers authority to order a To-
cal reduction in the price of coal arises
from the fact that early in the winter,
when the fuel situation first gave evil
| dence of becoming acute, he obtained
for Washington coal dealers permission
to increase theft prices about so cents a
ton over the scale they would have been
permitted to charge under the general
price-regulation schedule of the Ma
tional Fuel Administration.
| This increase was granted to meet To-
| cal conditions, one of which was that
the scarcity of labor enabled drivers
| and other workingmen to enforce their
demands for higher pay. Curtailment
| of shipments and small-1ot deliveries
were OIner factors increasing the cost
| of doing business.
Removes Cost-Increasing Factors.
| Improvement in the situation has re-
| moved some Of these cost-increasing
| factors, but others remain. Mr.. Weav-
| er will attempt to make the reduction
| correspond to the improvement in con-
ditions. Whatever reduction he orders
will be Independent of and in addition
| to any general price reduction which
may be established to become effective
April l, the beginning of a new coal
year.
Extent of the control Administrator
| Weaver will exercise over the coming
| years coal distribution is yet to be de-
termined, but it will not be the strict
card system of rationing he has had
under consideration and an outline of
! which he announced first at the Senate
! inquiry into the coal situation.
| There are several reasons calling for
| modification of the plan, chief of which
| is the belief of DR.. Garfield and officials
| of the National Fuel Administration
that it will not be necessary to curtail
| the allowance of coal for domestic pur-
poses in Washington. II the capital is
| to have 100 per cent of it's coal REQUIRE
! ments. as federal fuel officials now
! promise, about the only restrictions on
distribution necessary will be to see
that some persons, with money and
storage space, do not lay in supplies for
two or three years.
Everybody will be urged to lay in
enough to carry through next winter
and to get it in as early as possible
II there is substantial price reduc-
tton in April, with a monthly increase
thereafter. there will be pressure to
buy in the spring and summer months
and the local administration will have
to devise some plan to give all an equal
chance at the lower prices.
Must Avoid Discrimination.
One of the most difficult problems Mr..
Weaver will have to solve will be to
see that newcomers to Washington are
not Disseminated against in favor of
the old customers of dealers. Not only
VIII washington require great deal
more coal than in former years, but
! there viii have to be an increase in the
facilities of distribution to meet the in
creased demand.
One of the plans now being given
favorable consideration is to require
all retail coal dealers to obtain license
from the fuel administration If this is
done, 1t may be decided there is no
necessity for further regulation of dis
tribution beyond the maintenance of a
dealers clearing house for the inter
change of orders.
DIR. Garfield today reiterated his rec
ommendation to householders to buy
to put in only their normal supply.
A statement issued yesterday in
Philadelphia by the general committee
OF anthracite mine operators. saws the
McAdoo freight embargo has material
| ly aided the movement of coal trains
and that anthracite now is moving
freely to consignment points.
Continue to Be Scarce.
"It is believed" says the statement
that anthracite will continue to be
scarce until the end of the war
The fact that in the fuel administra-
tion's general coal territory scheme a
population of nearly 5000. 900 has been
added to the main anthracite-using
body will increase the tax on mines
and transportation facilities
The coal operators committee urges
that "non-eSsential uses for anthracite
should be eliminated to insure an in
creased supply for householders. The
thrift idea should be encouraged The
saving. by shovel weight and measure
is an aid to the increased supply and
facilitates the transportation problem
| in all it's phases"
H. A. Cochran of Baltimore, former
assistant traffic manager of the Balti-
more and Ohio railroad, but now with
the transportation division of the fuel
| administration, has been named as
transportation assistant to Director
General of Railroads McAdoo The ap-
pointment, made by Fuel Admins
traitor Garfield, is a part of plan of
coordination between the fuel and
railroad administrations.
Follows Recent Appointment.
1t follows the recent appointment by
Mr.. McAdoo of +. NJ. Whitaker, vice
president of the Chesapeake and Ohio