Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1919-04-04
NEW QUESTION
 INVOLVED IN
 CONTROVERSY
Board Doubts Arrangement of Prices With Industries.
RECOMMIT ENTIRE
 MATTER TO BOARD
Railroad Administration Gave Notice That Kew Steel Prices Were
 Not Acceptable.

Washin gton, April 3.-Conflict be- tween the indutrial board of the de- ] partment of commerce and the rail- road administration, over steel prices has devoted new question of wheth- CT the board shall attempt to arrange prices with basic industries at which the public shall be asked to make i purchases.
 i Reconsideration of the entire poli- cy of the board with possible conse- quent withdrawal or revision of the steel prices already announced has been decided upon. Conference will start tomorrow between representa- administration, on which it is believ- ed, will depend the future activities of the board. ~
 It developed today that the lengthy conference held yesterday, attended by several cabinet members and the heads of. all the important govern ment purchasing agencies, decided to re-commit to the board, the "entire matter" involved in the refusal of the railroad administration to accept the new steel prices. It was said that there was no intention to re-commit only the controversy with the rail- road administration and Chairman Peeks amendment to the official statement issued by Secretary Glass, i'll which office the meeting was held, was declared by the treasury head to have been authorized and not to re- fleet the sentiment of the conference.
 Director General Hines refused to- day to comment on the controversy
 Prices Published Too Soon
 Publication by the board for the public guidance of list of steel prices winch had not been accepted by the railroad administration and in- sistence that the latter should accept the prices after they were published seem to be the points at issue which have divided government officials in- to two opposing camps on the ques- tion of price fixing. AS originally constituted, according to official an- nouncements made at this time, the board was intended to be an instru- ment of meditation between industry and government purchasing agencies, to SC whether prices could be suffi- ciently attractive to induce the gov. ernment to purchas freely. It was uCclol GU HUI 0CtlNC III CIS ClCd- tion of the board that it was not in- tended that the board should indorse prices for the public, but that the ac ceptance of new prices by the gov. ernment was to be the assurance of the public that they were consirered fair on the basis of known costs.
 Refused To Accept.
 When the new steel prices were ar ranged, the railroad administration gave notice through it's representa- tive on the board, T. c. Powell. that they were not acceptable to the larg- est purchaser of steel in the United Staes. It was said that there was some duspute between the board and the administration as to whether the notice comprised only rails, as claim ed by the board, or all steel products, as alleged by the latter. At any rate the announcement of the new scale made no mention of the prices be- ing acceptable to the government, but offered them only as "satisfac tory to the public"
 Steel rails were priced in the re- vised schedule at $45 and $47 ton The railroad administration still is receiving deliveries on contracts at $36 to $40 ton.