Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-10-08
INDIANACOAL
SITUATION is
IN CONFUSION
Dealers Refuse to Handle Hoo
sier Fuel Under New
Prices.
OTHER MARKETS SOUGHT

The coal situation IN Indiana was
more confused than ever today as a
result of the attempt Of the Special Coal
and Food Commission to tx prices.
The outstanding developments appeared
as follows:
Dealers have ceased TO handle In
diana coal pending some legal &c
ton which win determine the au-
thority of tho commission to ax
prices and to enforce Its orders.
Suits TO determine the validity OF
the action of the coal Commission
were being prepared In many parts
of the state.
Dealers generally were taking tha
attitude that the order does not af-
feet contract e5aI. which comprises
95 per cent of the coal mined, and
were continuing to operate on this
theory.
ghe commission threatened to taIss
drastic steps to enforce It's orders.
Jesse r. Eschbach, head Of the
commission. inflmated he would take
M the question of supplying coal to
indianapolis with Mayor Jewes1 II it
could not be supplied through dealers.
Dealers operators and jobbers gener-
mission and indicate they viii so TO any
extent TO have them set aside.
cALL 1T
TEAPOT TEMPEST"
There was another group OF dealers
who take the attitude, IL is said, that the
entire controversy Is tempest IN tea
pot" because che orders OF the commis-
sion under the law are not sufficiently
far reaching 20 have any serions effect
on the coal business.
They take the position that tho orders
affect only free coal" that Is coal which
has not been contracted FOR, and iRas.
much as there is very little OF THIS cost
to be bad. there IS nothing for them 70
worry about
These dealers plan to 90 ahead as they
have been doing and TO contest only
when the commission attempts to have
them iined for violating its orders.
feeling that the Efforts Of he com.
mission may result In coal becoming
more difficult to obtain appeared TO b.
general.
Il was pointed out that, even though
the commission might be able legally 70
hx prices it can not possibly force oper-
atofs 70 produce coal or dealers to han.
die t.
Many operators were planning to ship
thcir. coal outside 0f Indiana and in
some cases IL was reported that such
shipments already had been started
Ihis will necessitate an order On the
part Of the commission 20 compel the
operators 70 keep their coal 10 the state.
IL appeared that such an order might
Do Issued 10 the very near future.
Mr. Eschbach's statement. that he
might back Mayer Jewett to cooperate
In seeiug that the small consumers OBJ
tain coal at the commissions prices
was made ht n meeting OF the Brother.
hood OF Railway Conductors, the Broth
erhood Of Locomotive Firemen and En-
ginemen and the Brotherhood OF Loco
motive Engineers at the Claypool Hotel.
Mr.. Eschbseh had been invited TO speak
at the meeting and he took the oppor-
tunity 70 explain" the action OF the
commission.
EsCHBACH EXPLAINS
COMMISSION ORDER
Mfr. Eschbach explained the orders OF
the commission
He cited the case Of two small com
psnies which have the same officers and
stockholders whose president had been
paid $4,000 salary year.
The secretary was paid $3.50 and
other officials in proportion, he said.
Abnormal salaries can develop only
from abnormal costs OF coal, he declared
and he insisted the prices hxed by the
commission provide a fair price to oper-
ators, for the number OF days their
mines operate and for the amount of
coal placed on the market.
He told Of another company capital
lied at $4,000 that paid salaries 70 It's
Officers amounting to S24 900 and man
aged to produce coal at $3.50 ton In
April, 1919, and in May produced corl
at 50 20 a ton.
Another firm which showed a depreci-
alton to the coal commission figured NJ
n high average on an investment of
S64 900 managed to provide net profit
Of $2.T0O in one month, he said
Before the operators, retailers and Job
hers accept the price as made by thu
commission, Mr.. Eschbach said II might
be necessary to present to the public
the facts and figures the coal commits
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