The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1919-09-04
SOFT COAL OPERATORS
DENY COMBINE EXISTS
-~~~--r~s%-s@
ofiiGtal 81 Nine owneEs' Associa.
tsoa Tsssifix Before SENATE
Commissss. 5000 Compel.
ing rroduesrS


siail "A eemhssasspw among kstunsn
cue coal operators ~ mssnsssn ~ m
prices Does ncs sssss end veaia ~ i'm.
rcssihle II attempted. J. n A. Mcrrow.
sm~ rF~ssdset cf the Nssionai Coal A.
secssssen, told the seas,. sub ecmmis.
~ ia I've hfss days insalrs acre Into
the coal stsstica. Prices Al the uaIas.
is. Mossuv added. have declined anl
s~s The ecmpstnna vhich prevailed
and ere lower aov thsn thsy we're .
sexs ak0
There are about t.ceo sspsssss
csmmescisl producers operating A.
proSimAs.ly seven thousand mlnss.
from shicA hliaminoas coal 10 fexa.
isrly ahlcr~d.~ Mr. Morrow sssa. In
addition ths<s are soaas t~o tkoas.
and operators with about three
thcussna mlass. sho begin producing
End seiiias coal uhensssr the price
so~s ap = lsssie end yffers . pfoEi 10
th~a. TAus4 In 1877. coal production
va reported 10 the tnised slsi~s lie
elcSicai Survey fscsa iossa min~a
Aoreoses. there are HUNDREDS II shna.
sands ~ acres of coal lands along the
railroads on which new mines ran be
readily and suiokly epsaed bs Ary ens
- dlsrcse1
such . eondlitpn ahsicasiy does
not l~nd i,aslf 10 restrictive comhlns,
tens among producers In addition
ihs operators Of each mining ncld are
snbj~et 10 competition from the pro.
dscsss of other hsids. 20 thai buyers
have many dlR~r~as sources Of surpiy
sssitsbls 10 than.
-Aasooe who alleges that there n
> nAsicu vide combination among The
hlsumlaeus coal producers when ,hess
sFr the condition cf bituninous pro.
duniscn and distribution, merely I'd.
ssrtises his own lsnorsno. or eonsicts
himAelf OF deliberate and vicious mls.
slsismenis.
'Vt shr Ave thonwand separate btu.
uinous coal producers Ia the United
States. ASA. approximately ~ per
cent. hold msmb~rship in the National
Coat Association, They produce about
sssly psg cen, of the total output VI
hlsumiuous coal in the country.
Charges that the National Coal A.
snaiation u = combination 10 maintain
prices are without fous1ssicn in fact:
they doubtless proceed simpIy from ID.
norsnee Of IN purpose and activities.
The Nstionai Coal Association neither
buys moo sells coal ssisher docs IA
have aaythins whatever - do With The
prices which iis mAmhexs ASK or sell
st nor with the territory into uhieA
they ship their coal. nor The quantity
which they produce"
Mr. Morrow stated that hlsuminous
coal prices have declined since the
ssmss,ice. and In general ar. lower
than the prices Ared ~ she United
States fuel sAministratioH. lie sub.
missed charts 20 the committee eragh.
lrsily showins The prices ~ Which bi
luminous coal sold 81 the mines 10 az.
fersst dissrsrss Of the unised States
froa April 70 August I. 1919 In
connection With these charts. M Nor
row ssplalnah that when the price r..
s,sscsicns Of ths fuei administration
we're removed on February last ths
better, moro desirable ooais vent to
premium In the open competitive mar.
bet and the isss desirable coats d.
eilned h price.
This VAS the action 10 ~ expected.
he ssM. h . msrkst where the buyer
sssEssses his choice and can obtain
tho ksnd he prefers A. result in.
stead Of the uniform prices In differ.
ent Districts. which we're hred b. fhs
United States fuel administration.
prices promptly spread out, some coal
xolns hishss spd some lower than they
had been.
''Mesnsime.- said Mr. Morrow. -ths
cvst Of producing bstuminous coal IL
higher than . year ago. due 10 the
TACT thai the mines then we're opera.
ips six days . week and in msny
csses nov srs operating only four
days Per week. and ia some casea only
fhfss days per week The osefhesa
espenss ~ msinisininr mines aoss on
Just ths same whether coal Ii pfodne
~ or not. These idleasy expenses
hsye resulted In increased costs per
ION. - compared with last year wkss
these Increased costs are ecaxldefs6 n
eospsction with the general dssfssss
IN prices. u u clear that prsels VI
birumtaons cssl Cpsraiors are male
rally less Than Q year sas.s
Mr. Mofrcv drew ccaiparisons bs.
tween the psiess Of bhsr laous cosi IT
The misss ID The uniied Ststss asd
foreign cesntfies.
~Prscss ~ the mines 10 Great Bfi.
taia." be ssid. 'are about three times
ibe mine prices prevalent in the
United States; IN France the msns
prices ara more than three and half
times thoss Of The United esstes Ens
lsnd mine prices range from 1s.s< 70
e7il pr ton. While bItumisous cssi
ID prnncs h costing about S9.7s per
ton q the mines. The average mine
pr1oa q hituulnour coal aold = the