The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-08-30
CURRENT COMMENT
Bituminous Coal Prices.

|
Attorney General Palmer's instruc-
lions to United States district attor-
neys to prosecute the profiteers in btu
minous coal appears to have been
prompted directly by the federal trade
commissions findings on costs. The
| situation seems to be epitouized in
the contrasting facts that West Vir-
ginia operators are selling coal at the
mines for $40 ton and the trans
portation rate to terminals serving
Hampton roads is about 81, while the
shipping board has been obliged TO pay
from 800 TO S22 for this same coal.
The difference between $40 and
$40 or $22 is partly accounted for
by small lighterage charges; in much
greater part, apparently, by an extra
ordinary sysem of constituencies
profteering. Either a colossal scandal
or most peculiar state of things be-
tween the coal and the dock and in the
bin of the ultimate consumer seems
to be due for disclosure 1t can come
none too soon.
The trade commissions studies of
costs have included a number of OPP
orators sufficiently large and sufficient
ly well distributed to represent fairly
in all likelihood the situation in the
industry generally. Information was
obtained from $50 operators out of the
total of 24s2 who were compelled to
report to the fuel administration dur
ing and after the war II shows aver
age sales at the mine of S3.3l a ton
with margin over cost of 81 cents
margin not being the same as prof
ito figure which requires considera
ton of selling costs, interest on Dor
rowed capital and other items. Sixty
one operators in West Virginia showed |
sales at S3.40 and margin of 81 cents;
six in the Pocahontas field of the same |
state $3.07 and 81 cents, and l0l in |
the Pennsylvania field $3.50 and 93
cents.
These are the cost figures for May. |
For the first three months of 1920 the |
average price received by the oper
ators reporting was $2.75 a ton, with /
a margin left of IS cents. The in
crease in reported cost in May was %
per cent over 1918, while the produe.
tion in May was Is per cent less than
the average monthly production in |
1918 Wage increases, of course, ac-
count for considerable part of the in.
crease in cost.
But there is nothing here to indi.
cate the slightest justification for the
great boost in prices to the consum
or that has meanwhile occurred. On
the face of il it seems more than prob
able that the rapid drop in prices which
took place at Baltimore-to 1925,
then to 1915 and then to $s,75--si.
multaneously with the publication the
report represents an ap
proach to legitimate scale.
While the operators reporting sp.
pear to have been fairly representa-
i've of the industry, it is not as it
should be that they number fewer
han third Of those reporting to the
Inel administration The falling off
has been due largely, if not almost
Fholly, to the fact that the authority
# the commission to require reports
5 still awaiting decision in the courts.
/ is to be hoped that the delay will
continue no longer than necessary.
otherwise the voluntary reports may
,e expected to be still fewer and in.
representative, iustifying
he commission in suspending their
publication altogether. II is in the
interest Of all honest dealers as well
s of the public that the facts shall
e known; and many more facts than
ust prices and costs at the mines
springfield Republican.