The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-04-02
WAGE ADVANCE
HITS topeka IN
H. C. OF |. HIKES
Coal Goes Up Fifty Cents a
Ton Here Today.
Electricity May Follow, Edison
Company Forecasts.
COAL UP 75c TO ST BY WINTER?
Stock Up During Next Two
Months, Dealers Advise.
lee and Building Materials viii
Soar Also.
WAGE INCREASES THE CAUSE
All Products Requiring Fuel
Meet New Advance.
Practically Every City in Mid
de West Is Affected.
Ice and Building Materials viii
Soar Also.
WAGE INCREASES THE CAUSE
All Products Requiring Fuel
Meet New Advance.
Practically Every City in Mid
de West Is Affected.

increases in the price Of coal. with
resultant increases in the cost of cleo
iricity. ice. building material and other
products manufactured by plants
burning coal as fuel. were foreseen in
Topeka today as the result of the in
crease in wages granted the mine
workers.
Local coal dealers were notified that
the price of southern Kansas nut and
lump coal has advanced so cents a
ton, effective today, and that slack,
or steam coal. has advanced 80 cents
ton at the mines Further increases
in southern Kansas coal later in the
season and immediate increases in
illinois and Colorado fuel were fore
cast.
Considering Electricity like.
An increase in the price of electric
ity to meet the hike in fuel prices and
other inflated operating costs is being
considered. according to A. H. Purdy.
general manager of the Topeka Edison
company. The application for permis-
sion to increase rates must first be
filed with the industrial court Purdy
said nothing definite had been ar
ranged and that the per cent of in
crease had not yet been figured out
Fuel oil has advanced to such an ek
tent, he said. that the company has
eliminated the use of it as far as pos
sible. Fuel oil now is equivalent TO
coal at SIG ton. Purdy said
a hike in the price of brick. tile and
similar building material was pre-
dicted, owing to the increased cost Of
manufa cturing.
All Coal Up zoe to 81.
3 Retail coal dealers here have not
lxr5a
advance on Illinois and other eastern
coal, but it was conceded that an ad-
vance will come One dealer has re-
ceived notice from a large Colorado
operator stating that an advance of
70 cents a ton will become effective
June ! and another advance of 25
cents a ton August /. The price now
in effect on Colorado coal is on a
level with the winter price.
That increases in all varieties of
coal will range from rs cents to 81 a
ton by winter, dealers agreed. Dur
ing the next two months prices will
be at the lowest level which NAV
henceforth be expected. they say.
1t was pointed out that economy lies
in laying in a fuel supply for next
winter within the next thirty or sixty
days.
To Be Passed on to Public.
Chicago. April "A general in
crease in retail coal prices will be
passed on to the general public today
or tomorrow to pay for wage Increase
to miners. retail coal dealers of the
middle west predicted today.
With the removal OF federal reguIa-
tton of coal prices. effective yesterday.
coal operators announced increases,
Immediately effective.
Today some retailers were still SELL
ing a t the March prices but this, they
explained, was due to the fact that the
new prices had not been received from
the operators Increases will range
from 25 cents to 81 a ton.
One Boost Already Made.
Chicago dealers today said they ex-
pected to quote higher prices this
week. Only one increase has been
made effective. Pocahontas coal has
been boosted 81 a ton. Coal was still
being sold on March prices for imme-
diate deliveries. Quotations for future
delivery were refused.
Consumers in Indiana have already
been assessed. Dealers have added 25
cents ton to the price of Indiana nut
and slack and West Virginia split.
An increase of so cents was added to
the price of West Virginia camel
Increase Is General
At Detroit, Oklahoma City. St. Paul
and Denver. there have been no in
creases but dealers say there will be.
Coal in Denver today was selling
slightly below March l prices. due to
d Elut on the market.
At Des Moines, reports indicated a
general advance of 10 per cent thru
out Iowa. an average increase of rs
cents per ton.
Even Los Angeles boosted its coal
prices. Coal there today was selling
for SIG ton as compared with SIS
last year.
At Milwaukee the price of coke was
advanced 75 cents for all sizes
Dealers in st; Louis hiked prices
slightly. Coal delivered to factories
was raised cents and to residences
80 cents.
Coal in San Francisco was 81 a ton
higher today than last September
when it sold for $14.5O ton.
An increase of As cents a ton was
recorded at Springfield, Ill.
Dealers in Lincoln. Neb.. predict
that prices are going 25 per cent
higher
Prospects for increased cost of coal
this month is jumping prices of build
ing materials. All products requiring
coal in their manufacture are affected
st. Louis Milk Down One Cent.
st. Louis April 2-Retau mill