The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-09-09

In addition there are some 2.UUu
operators with about 5000 mines.
who begin producing and selling coal
whenever the price goes up little
and offers a profit to them Thus in
l9l7 coal production was reported to
the q. S. Geological Survey from
100,634 mines Moreover. there are
hundreds of thousands of acres of
coal lands along railroads on which
new mines can be readily and quickly
opened by any one SO disposed. Such
a condition obviously does not lend
itself to restrictive combination
among producers. In addition the
operators of each mining field are
subject to competition from the pro-
ducers Of other fields. so that buy
ers have many different sources of
supply available to them.
"Of the 5000 separate bitumincus
coal producers in the United States.
2,294. approximately is per cent,
hold membership in the National
Coal Association. They produce
about GO per cent of the total output
OF bituminous coal in the country.
.:- y r.. No Price Combination. ..,.
Charges that the National Coal
tain prices are without foundation in
TACT: they doubtless proceed simply
from Ignorance of its purposes and
activities.
"The National Coal Association
represents these operators ano looks
after their interests in matters of
general concern, such as transporta-
ton and traffic questions. standard
nf
ton with Governmental agencies and
secret about its business. Its files
and records are open to the Commit
tee or any other duly authorized
agency OF the Government at any
time.
The National Coal Association
neither buys nor sells coal; neither
does it have anything whatever to do
with the prices which it's members
ask or sell at, nor with the territory
INTO which they ship their coal. nor
the quantity which they produce"
Mr.. Morrow stated that bitu.nl.
nous coal prices have declined since
the armlstlce, and in general are
lower than the prices fixed by the
United States Fuel Administration
he pointed out to the Committee that
until February ! last.f the pres OF
bItuminous coal was controlled ~
Inc maximum price fixed by the Fuel
Administration in the various pro.
duclng districts,
"These Fuel A administration prices
were intended to prevent the chary-
ing OF undue prices for bltumInous
coal and to limit the profits which
the mine operators might make" he
said. AT the same time they in
cluded fair profits in order that the
. production of sufficient coal should
be stimulated during the war, but
they did not permit exorbitant
profits. The Fuel Administrator
prices. however. did not take quality
Of coal into consideration. That is.
the Fuel Administration did not give
higher prices to the coal producers Of
any district merely because the coal
was of better quality than the coal
produced in some adjacent mining
field. Poor Goals and good Goals II
their cost Of production were the
same, were treated alike. we UNDER
stand. in FIXING the Fuel Administra-
tion prices"
Buyers Fix Prices.
MIR. Morrow submitted charts to
the Committee graphically showing
the prices which bituminous coal sold
at the mines in different districts
OF the United States from April | to
August l, 1919. In connection with
these charts. Mr.. Morrow explained
that when the price restrictions Of