Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-10-02
STATE FIXES 81
COAL PRICE FOR
UTILITY SUPPLY
First Finding of Commission
Is Only Slightly Below
Present Cost.
DECISION IS TEMPORARY

Tldrty-six cars of coal have been Sc
cured for the use of schools of the State
and public utilities by the State coal
commission at 81 a ton from the mouth
of the mine, according to an announce
ment made today by Jesse Eschbach,
chairman Of the coal ard food commits
sion
This is the first price fixed by the
commission and is only slightly lower
than the price at which the quality of
coal involved has been sold. according
to officials Of the commission.
PRICE FIXED Is
ONLY TEMPORARY
The price, it was explained, is not a
permanent wholesale price, nor neces-
sarily an indication of the price which
will finally be set, but was decided as
fair price for the particular coal in
volved.
The announcement was made follow
ing a conference which lasted the entire
morning.
The coal will be furnished by the Amer
lean Mining Company and the Knox
County Association.
Delivery of the coal to public utilities
and schools wills start Immediately.
The retail price on coal for general
consumption has not yet been fixed.
list Of schools and public utilities
which will receive the thiTty-s.x cars Of
coal has been furnished the operators by
Mr.. Eschbach.
Matters pertaining to the use Of Indf-
ana coal in the State, as compared to the
use Of coal from other States; the matter
# jobbers strike; the shortage of coal
I'm the State; gross margins of coal re-
tailers. and average length Of haul in de-
/ - I'd 70 nTa
were some Of the subjects touched upon
at yesterday afternoons session Of the
coal hearing held before the commission.
SAYS USE OF STATE
COAL MAY CONTINUE
Jesse E. Eschbsch, chairman Of the
commission, presided at the hearing.
which was for retailers, and was the
third held to assist the commission in
obtaining information on which to base
coal price.
In speaking Of the use of Indiana coal
in the State, NJ T. Shaw Of Crawfords-
vile expressed the belief that Indiana
coal had not been given the credit due
it. hut that he felt that there are many
people now using it as a result Of the
shortage who will continue to use the
Indiana coal after the shortage is re
lieved.
ne hd4u INIT uuc NSdopA 1HuAeAid VA
was not used more generally in the
State in the past was partly because the
Indiana operators contracted most CT
their coal for steam purposes and partly
because the domestic consumers wanted
to use higher grade coal from outside the
State.
He said that he had been able 10 get
some coal at S. at the mine, and that
prices had been quoted him up to $3.50
ia the mine, but that he did not know
whether these higher quotations had been
made by operators or Jobbers, as they
were made by firms with whom ne had
not dealt.
INDIANA COAL SCARCE
DUE TO PEOPLES DELAY.
In touching upon the use of Indiana
coal in the State.s K. R. Yesgley, sec
retary of the Indiana Retail Coal Mer-
chants Association said that people had
held of from buying Indiana coal, for
domestic purposes, and now cannot get
because it is being used for steam
purposes, and that the operators had not
yet been. convinced that there was
permanent domestic field in the State
for the Indiana product
He touched also upon reasons why
Eastern coal was received in such small
quantities, the order of the Interstate
Commerce Commission giving priority 10
shipments of coal to lake ports having
Continued on Page TwO)