The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-11-03

r~esiae-. MARSHALL said the
r'aTjnp1a prica order would cur
tan the operators ability to meet
tbs abnorn Al price production costs
caused bv the strike and would dis-
courage the operators in their et-
forts 70 produce coal He said the
law Of supply and demand would
take care If distribution better
than any theoretical program and
urged that thare be no interference
by tire government departments or
railroad administration
ACKNOWLEDGMENT Palmer replied
that he was s.sr7a gsd by the coal
mems letter. saving.
Y our proposition amounts In ef-
feet 70 a declaration that coal deal
ers should be permitted to take al
vantage OF these abnormal condi-
tons and have their prices based
entirely upon the law Of supply ana
demand, which Is only another way
oi saying thar they should be per-
n1itted 70 charge the public what
ever they please"
No Other Developments
aside from the giving out of the
correspondence between Attorney
General Palmer and the wholesale
coal dealers official Washington
was Qulet today as regards the coal
strike Apparently the disposition
was 10 rest until tomorrow when
The fun reports on the mum Der OF
stT1Sers outy wtAul1 shs seceivsd.. aud
The situation more accurately
known.
In labor circles the chief event
was the ISSUANCE OF a statement by
the advisory board Of the Brother
hood of Locomotive Engineers
urging the assem- ding OF an indus
trial com omission to deal with the
crisis. The railroad men con-
demned government by inlunc-
ton but pledged support of their
IS 600 mem be-s TO the governments
N every just and reasonable ef-
fort toward stabiliZing industrial
conditions
The letter from the Wholesale
Coal Trade association OF New Yors
Is as follows:
The fact that there is no pres
ont general shortage OF coal and
that if The miners who want to
work are given protection by the
government they will work. leads
US to believe the following state
rent and communication.
First, with proper police or
troop protection there will be a
viii be willing 70 continue at work
ID insure. with present stocks, Al
adequate supply to meet the ener-
gency created by the strike.
Second Fixing maximum
price win ou,s.afi ane operators
ability to meet tt~ abnormal pro-
ouct!on costs caused by the strike
and will discourage the operators in
their efforts to produce coal.
Third. The law OF supply and
demand Will take care OF distr1bu-
ton better than any theoretical
program. We are not now con
fronted with a wartime condition
but one in which the demand TOR
coal is normal, and WIN continue 20,
if the public is assured of protcc-
ton 70 miners TO enable them to
produce, and interference by
government departments in the
matter of distribution
Fourth The putting ip@o eject
of priority lists will result IN IN
necessarily overstockng certa1n
consumers and allowing others to
go without
Fifth r there are attempts II
profteering the machinery provtA-
ed undcr the recent amendments to
the Lever law may be used to pro-
vent the same
We recommend that tie minors
be given protection sc that they
may work in safety and that the
consumers OF coal be allowed to
procure the same through the Us
ual channels without interference
from government departments or the
railroad &c nfrfstra1ion-
Palmer Il Amazed
attorney General Palmers reply
to President MarshalPs letter Is:
II am in receipt of your circular
letter of October 81, 1918. and
amazed by its contents.
While of caurse. proper pro-
lection will be given to all mtDors
who are willing to continue at work.
II must he perfectly plain - yo0
that ASan under such condinoos -