Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1920-07-26
Government Officials Are De-
luged With Appeals for Re-
lief of Coal Shortage in New
England States.
ILLINOIS MINES NOW ~
TIED UP BY WALKOUT
President Wilson Considering
Reincarnation Of Certain
Phases Of Wartime Fuel
Administration.
BY ARTHUR SEARS HENN1NG.
Chicago Tribune Omaha Bee Leased Wire

BY ARTHUR SEARS HENNING.
Chicago Tribune Omaha Bee Leased Wire.
Washingtons July 25.-With the
coal mines of Illinois tied up by a
strike, a fuel shortage in the north
west and New England and the ex-
port trade draining the country Of
desirable grades, the nation again
faces a crisis which all the govern
ment regulation of the last three
years appears to have been power
less to prevent.
The administration again is being
dcluged with appeals from the oper-
ators, fhc miners and the public ITO
do something to see that industry
gets enough coal for continuous
operations and that householders are
enabled to lay in their winters
stores. President Wilson has under
cor sideration pleas to reincarnate
various phases of the late fuel Aad-
ininistration, and Attorney General
Palmer is going ito try his hand at a
solution iii conference with the
coal men in New York on Tues
day.
\ " Chicago Near Famine.
= That Chicago and the middle west
are threatened with famine of high
grade industrial and household coal
unless an embargo on export of the
Pocahontas grade of eastern Bit
luminous is imposed, was revealed in
the following, telegram received by
government officials today from
William Rourke of Chicago. secre-
tary of the Independent Coal Deal
ers' association Of that city:
The Independent Coal Dealers
association Of Chicago protest on
the shipment bf Pocahontas coal for
export, as the foreign countries are
outbidding the dealers in the United
States on tins grade OF coal, and
therefore raising prices to such an
extent that causes the American
public to suffer with high prices.
II an embargo was placed against
foreign export of this grade of coal
the city Of Chicago and the middle
west would be able to obtain their
requirements, as Chicago must have
specified amount Of Pocahontas coal
to keep from suffering this win
ter. Praying that some action may
be taken by ,the Interstate Com
merce commission at once that we
may be able to keep the suffering
public OF Chicago warm this win
ter"
Walsh Sounds Warming.
Just before congress adjourned
Senator Walsh OF Massachusetts
voiced the outcry Of New England
against the shortage and exor bitant
prices Of coal resulting from the op-
crations of the export trade. He
advocated an embargo by congress
SIGNAL action but congress did not
consider the matter. The Interstate
Commerce commission was appealed
to at that time by New England in
terests TO embargo'the movement OF
coallfor export.
Ehe federal trade commission
made public bulletin reporting the
cost OF mining bit,nninous coal last
April which shows that the opera
tors margin took {. jump of II cents
a ton that month over the previous
quarter.
The average sales realization of
the BIZ operators reporting to the
committee for April was $3.26 per
ton while their totai reported TO.
b. mine cost amounted to $27o. OF
this latter amount $2.04 represented
labor costs per ton: 81 cents the
cost Of supplies and Al cents general
expense (or overhead.) The differ
ence, between the sales. realization
and the f. o. b. mine cost per ton
is the "margin" which was 50 cents
per ton. The commission empha.
size the point that this margin, =
is not the same as profit. Not ell
Of the margin is profit. In order to
arrive at the smount available for in
come and excess profits tawes. divi-
dends, or surplus, there must be de-
Quoted certain items, such as sell
ing expenses and interest on bor-
rowed capital. ~aad there must be
added certain items. such as income
from outside investments"
Figures For 1920.
Along with the April figures,
comparable information is shown
for the first three months of 1920
and for the year 1918. The average
Continued ON Page Two. Column one.) J
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