The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-07

prices and OF diverting to speculative
purposes millions of tons which should
have been used for contract fulhlment.
THE frank statement Col. Wentz Is
quoted as having maze at the Cleveland
meeting OF the coal operators of the
country shows these men became fright
ened at the public agitation aga inst high
prices and the repeated demands made
upon Washington for remedy of the
existing situation. IN other words. some
or their number had been SO greedy in
pursuit of prohteer!ng that the majority
feared the Federal Government would
step in with proposed regulation Of the
industry. In order to meet these
charges OF prohteerlng committees of the
coal operators were appointed to CO.
operate with similar bodies representing
the anthracite Industry. wholesalers and
retailers, in order to present a united
front
'~rhe condition Of affairs In the soft
coal trade has It's direct relation to the
anthracite trade. inasmuch AZ soft coal
shipments monopolized rail facilities and
forced the hard coal off the railroads.
Thus. while soft coal spectators We're
able to buy carload lots OF coal, divert
them from contracts by reason of the
Interference of the Interstate Commerce
Commission, and route them to tide
water to De held for speculative pur-
loses, anthracite coal assigned for the
householder was blocked from transport
lation."
Two conclusions were announced as
having been reached already by the in
quiry instituted jointly by the Real
Estate Board of New York and the
Building Managers and Owners Asso-
citation. in whose interest Edward r.
nd
conferred with members OF the Inter
state Commerce Commission. These lon
illusions are:
/. That there Is no adequate reason
for the present exorbitant prices.
2. That the cost of both anthracite
and bituminous ccal will be appreciably
less in the near future.
Priority Orders ReScinded.
Mr.. Doyle learned that all priority
orders which might have operated to
the detriment OF this section have been
rescinded. He was assured that the
commission has power TO compel mines
to deliver coal under their contract COM
mitments and would cooperate promptly
If informed of instances of violation
The New York committee. of which Mr..
Doyle is the head, will begin at once an
of that phase of the prob
lem.
On Staten Island the anthracite short
age is reported to have become acute.
The Health Department of Richmond
Borough within the last few days has
received many compliments and pleas
for the departments aid in obtaining
fuel. Some OF the instances reported re-
vealed real distress. There was illness
in the homes and no coal could be OBJ
tanned, although orders had been placed
as long ago as June. A Health Depart
ment survey revealed the fact that in
the yards OF thirty-eight dealers on the
island there is an aggregate Of less than
5000 tons on hand. and 80 per cent. of
that Is screenings.
The weekly report to the Public Ser
vice Commissioner shows soft coal
stocks on hand November for the clty's
various public utility companies amount
ing to 415,95S tons, which is an in
crease OF 1876 tons over the previous
weekly report. Difficulty still Is being
experienced in getting adequate sup
plies. the report says. largely because
Of inability to obtain a sufficient num-
Der Of cars for shipments.