The Washington times., 1920-04-03

FUEL PIRATES
U. s. Attorneys in All Cities In
structed to Prosecute for
81 Advances.
40 CENTS SET AS MAXIMUM
Wage Increases to Workers win
Boost Cost at Mine
Only 20 Cents.

United States District Attorney
John E. Laskey today was instructed
by Attorney General Palmer to re-
ceive and give immediate consider
alton to all complaints by the public
of profteering among coal dealers.
This action was taken Immediately
after a flood of complaints reached
the department from all parts of
the country, telling Of exorbitant
prices which coal dealers were seek
ing to exact, and excusing the in
crease on the ground Of wage ad-
vances made to the miners under
the settlement affected through the
Bituminous Coal Commission.
81 Advance Unjustified.
Similar instructions were sent to all
United States attorneys in other
cities. The announcement in The
Washington Times yesterday that
several coal dealers had sent out no.
tices that the price of coal had ad-
vanced practically 81 ton created
somewhat of a sensation.
Attorney General Palmer ordered
| District. Attorney Laslt<y 70 prosecute
1.-THE pr9fiteering coaf-- dealers under
the LEVER act. The Attorney 0enerai
held that advances en- bftuminOus
coaI running from $50 to - per tor
were unjustIhnble. He Instructed the
Federal attorney that In considering
these cases an increase Of only 20
cents q ton was justihed In the cir
cunstances, even IL the entire wage
advance recently granted to the min
ers was shifted to the consumer.
Mr.. Palmer stated that the increase
in the price OF coal per ton should be
even lower than 40 cents.
Palmer's Statement.
He said:
Now that Government regulation
of prices has been discontinued, there
are Indications of an excessive In
crease in the price of bitum!nous coal.
Our total annual production 10 ap-
proximately SOC, ,000,00 tons, 1t Is es-
timated that the totatl increase In
wages will be approximately $780,
OoO, 900 per annum. If this entire
amount is added by the operators to
the price. It would only make an in
crease of 40 cents per ton. II. how
ever, the operators absorb the IA per
cent increase, which became effective
in December, there will be left only
g6, 900 900 to be passed on to the
consumer. In this event the increase
in the price Of coal at the mine would
amount to 20 cents a ton.
1T understand that an exaggerated
estimate of the demand for export
coal is affecting the market price.
particularly from Illinois east, this
demand having been estimated at as
much as 100,0o0,000 tons. But ! am
advised that our port facilities
are only adequate for the export
of 30,000,000 tons per annum, that Is
to say, only per cent of our total
production. This should not be made
an excuse for raising the price for
domestic consumption. 1t is probable
that normal conditions will be shortly
restored and fair prices VIII follow.
In the meantime, please receive and
consider complaints of profteering
which may arise in your district un-
der the Lever act"
No Complaints Here.
Up to noon today no complaints of
profiteering in coal had been received
by District Attorney Laskey. He
stated. however, he would take speedy
action on any such complaints that
are made to him.
Declaring that the raise in coal
prices is unfair to the public, James
Lord, president of the mining d.
vision of the American Federation of
L. Dor, said he was not surprised that
the operators arc charging more for
coal. He asserted that the % per
cent wage increase did not warrant
this excess charge for bituminous
coal.
The export shipments of coal dur
ing the last year have been at the
rate of 10000 900 tons, and 1t Is not
believed among officials in Washing
ton, who have been in charge of the
regulation and control of the coal
industry before the restrictions were
lifted on April l. that the exports