Arizona republican., 1920-07-26
EMBARGO ON COAL
 REFORMATION IS EXPECTED TODAY
I. C. C. Will Issue Orders Today for Priority Move ment of Coal to New Eng land-Take Hand in Set clement of Strike in Hi nois Field

WASHINGTON, July, 25.-The gov ernment will take definite steps tomor row to straighten out a muddled coal situation.
 The interstate commerce commission will issue an order for priority Of movement in the transportation sof coal to New England. The order is expected to include a prohibition against any movement of coal to tide water unless consigned to New Eng land. This, in the view of coal experts, will amount to an embargo on the ex- pOrtation of coal
 Under a recent order of the com mission. more than score of railroads serving bituminuos mines in Western Pennsylvania, Ohio. West Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee. will begin to move coal to lake ports for trans shipment to the northwest. The sum mer movement of coal to the north west is more than 50 per cent behind schedule and the railroads will attempt to dump 4.000 carloads of coal a day at lake ports.
 Conciliators Hope To End Strike
 Depaftmeut of labor conciliators tomorrow will begin efforts to end the walkout Of mine laborers in the Illinois fields. which is reported to have closed about two-thirds of the mines.
 Officials of the government agencies concerned in the straigtening out of the coal tangle today read the state ment issued by John L. Lewis. presi- dent of the United Mine Workers last night. but declined to comment MT. Lewis had declared that any settle ment of the Illinois strike which would modify the basic interstate agreement under which the miners of the central competitive field are working would result in action by national officers of the mine workers to bring about a cessation of work by the 210.000 men employed in that field
 Operators Opposse Wage mendment
 The National Coal association. an organization of operators said to repre- sent two-thirds of the country's bitum- inous production. today denied the Illinois operators had expressed a de- sire to have the existing wage con tract amended as stated by the presf- dent of the mine workers. The only overture looking toward reopening tue wage agreement which was entered two years. the associations statement said. was made by the miners. This overture, it was added. was rejected by the operators who held that only auspices the agreement was entered into would permit reopening of the contract.
 Exception was taken by the associa-. tion to MT. Lewis assertion that the coal operators were charging unp%e- cenuenIed pr1ceS Tor coal 1he com mission in its fourth monthly bulletin in bituninous coal costs. issued today The commissions review for April showed that the average sales realiza ton of the SIP operators reported for that month was $3.26 a ton. while the average report for the mine cost amounted to s2.76. Of the latter amount s2.04 represented labor costs per ton: 31 cents the cost of supplies and fl cents general expense or over head. The difference between the sales realization and the f. o. b. mine cost was 50 cents a ton. which the com mission emphasized could not be con sidered as profits from it must be sub tracted certain expenses such as selling costs and interest