The Topeka state journal., 1919-12-31
NO REASON FOR
COAL PRICE hike
SAY OPERATORS
No Increase at Mines Except on
Steam Coal.
Central Field To Be First to Go
Under Probe.
NO BIG HEARING is PLAN
Miners and Owners to Furnish
Data on QuestiOnnaires.
Presidents Commission Pre-
pares for Work in January.
NO BIG HEARING is PLAN

Washington, Dec. S1.-After pre-
pairing the way for it's investigation
into the bituminous coal industry the
presidents commission today ad-
journed its session. Rembrandt Peale.
representing the operators, and John
P. White, representing the miners,
left for their homes to spend the holi-
days, but Henry NJ. Robinson, repre-
the preliminary work.
The staff of assistants has already
begun assembling data for the in
quiry but public hearings will not be-
gin until January Il.
Tentatively the commission has de-
cided not to assemble its facts by the
process of calling coal miners and coal
operators in person to testify at hear
ings, and it also has decided not to
visit the principal coal mining centers.
Instead it will send out formal in
quiries to representative coal mining
concerns in all districts asking for
cost sheets covering operations in
1919. These will be analyzed with the
assistance of the federal trade com
mission and other governmental
bodies and mining engineers.
When these data have been assem-
bled the representative of the miners
and operators in each field will be
called in to present their arguments
in open hearings. The central com
petitive district will be the first field
so dealt with. but other fields over the
district will be dealt with in like man.
ner. so that the commissions decision
will be made in the light of q. ma
tional rather than a sectional study OF
the facts.
Commissioners PeaIe and White
will m odiafelxy of
Years to continue their handling of
the details with Mr.. Robinson.
Have Been No Hikes.
- Chicago. Dec. r31.-Committee ap-
pointed by the coal operators of the
central bituminous field today began
formulation of plans to put the entire
soft coal industry on a stable basis.
They were named at the two days
conference which closed here yester-
day and will report early in the new
year. The operators agreed that any
raise in the price of coal used for do
mestic purposes would be unjustified d
and would be due solely to the retailer.
One operator stated that the prices
on a few grades of steam coal only
had been raised IA per cent There
is absolutely no justification for a
raise in the price of coal to house
holGers and others at this time" he
said.
The purpose of the conference was
to discuss the situation growing out
of the appointment of the presidential
coal commission, according to It. T.
Brewster of st. Louis, chairman of the
conference. No definite action to gov
ern the attitude of the operators to-
ward that commission was taken, he
said.
Topeka coal dealers today professed
to be ''in the dark" relative to future
prices on coal. but one or two declared
prices for southern Kansas products
will undoubtedly be higher"
No price advances have been yet
placed on household coal here fol-
lowing the miners IA per cent in
crease, it was asserted.
Several dealers failed to explain
why coal from southern Kansas
should increase while Illinois coal re-
mains stationary.
One dealer, an optimist, forecasts a
drop in prices shortly.