Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1920-04-11
INCREASES IN COAL. PRICES UNJUST!F!ED
 BY RECENT RAISE
Wilson's Commission Says They're Out of All Pro-
 portion
MISAPPREHENSION AS
 TO THE PRODUCTION
No Threatened Shortage of Cars and Campaign for Early Buying Can't be Blamed, It is
 Held

Washington, April 1O.-The United States bituminous coal commission which settled the disputes between soft coal miners and operators, de- clared in a formal statement today that present prices of bituminous coal "were in excess" and "out of all re- lation to the increase in the cost of production caused by higher wages granted by the commission"
 Declaring that the present rise in prices could not be attributed to the campaign for carly buying, the com missions statement said there were various causes for the temporary up- ward trend" including a widespread feeling that there might be scarcity of coal for domestic use, due to for eign demand.
 There seems also to be misappre- hension in regard to production,' the statement added. "The weekly re- ports of the geological survey show that in the first quarter of the pres ent year our production was decidedly in excess of the production last year, and slightly in excess of the produc- ton under high pressure in 1918. There is. therefore, no reason. ba sed on the past few months for the sky
 
 rocketing of prices.
 "The fear of immediate suffering of car shortage seems also to figure in the reasons for the furry. There were sufficient cars and motive power to distribute this unusual production of the past few months, on account of careful and energetic car dfstfibu- ton. These cars and motive power are practically all available, and, while there is definite need for more of both in order to stabilize the in dustry there is no immediate serious threatening of car shortage, such as has not existed during the winter. unless it is necessary. because Of emergencies, to divert coal cars for other purposes.
 "Frenzied bidding up of prices on the part of coal buyers seems there- fore at this time to be entirely un- justified There, is no reason to be- lieve that there will be limited sup ply of coal for the domestic market
 Wives To Testify.
 Pittsburg, Kan. April 10.-With the resumption of the investigation of the coal industry by the court of industrial relations here today. it was announced by Judge w. L. Huggins that it was hoped wives of the miners would respond to the courts request and testify as to home and school con ditions. The women will not be sub poaned but are asked to testify vol untarily.
 Testifying before the court on con- ditions under which the miners worked. P. T. Barrow. miner today declared that in the meetings of the local unions any one who expressed sympathy with the administration was hooted and that as a result he had lonp since ceased to attend the meet ings. He asserted that most of the offices of the locals were controlled by foreigners and that for some of them an interpreter is necessary to tell those who do not understand Enelish what the proceedingks were:
 Barrow testified that he expected to have to pay $50 fine for testl- fving before the court. as he under stood that at the recent district meet ing of the miners at Kansas City an amendment to the constitution was made penalizing members for testl- fying. and providing for $5,OOO fine in the case of violations by officers.
 Four thousand miners today re- mained away from work, following the incarceration for contempt or President Alexander Howat and three other miners union officials.