New-York tribune., 1920-02-23
Warns Public Must
Pay Any Increase
Granted to Miners
Representative of National
Gas and Electric Service
Asserts Raise for Utilities
Means Boost to Consumer
From The rrtouns's Washington Bureau

From. The Trtbums's Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, Feb. 22.-The BIZ
luminous Coal Commission appointed
by the President to adjust the differ
ences between the coal miners and the
operators will soon decide whether in
creases In wages granted the miners
shall be passed on to the consumers.
The commission during It's weeks of
hearings has gone into the question
thoroughly, but Chairman Robinson
said to-day the commission has not as
yet arrived at an adjustment that will
be satisfactory.
Gated that there is to be any advance
in wages beyond the IA per cent given
the miners in December, or even that
the IA per cent advance is to remain,
coal operators have insisted that, even
It the Ia per cent advance stands, some
thing must be done to enable them to
meet it.
Briefs filed with the commission by
representatives of public utilities cor
porations in the Middle West and East
emphasize the point that the general
understanding" has been that the ID
per cent advance was to have been en-
tirely absorbed by the operators, so
that no rise in the price Of coal, due
to the increase in miners wages, would
fall upon the public.
Public Will Have to Pay
George W. Elliott, Of Washington,
D; c., representing the National Com
mittee on Gas and Electric Service, has
stressed the point that if there is
any increase in wages, resulting in a
IN,
porations, the public will have to paw
for it.
In their arguments before the COM
mission the public utilities represen-
tatives from New York, Boston, Phila-
delphia and indianapolis have stated
that investigation develops that the
IA per cent wage advance has been
passed on to the public by the coal op-
orators on contracts entered into be-
fore the strike, which began November
l. These contracts carried a provi-
sion. he explained, that any increase
in the cost Of labor would be met by
an increase in the price of, coal.
Approximately 81 per cent of the
coal output since the ia per cent ad-
vance went into effect, Mr.. Elliott said,
the price being increased to cover it.
the coal consumed, he said, was the ii
per cent absorbed by the operators.
Car Shortage flinders Output
The problem Of the inability of coal
operators to get an adequate supply of
cars by which coal can be run to the
markets has become another serious
point Of inquiry by the commission.
Failure Of the operators to get enough
cars to ship coal has been argued by
the operators as being one of the po-
tent factors in the high cost of pro-
duction Of coal. While obliged to run
the mines and keep up with the public
demand for coal, the operators have
pointed out that this necesstates keep
ing heavy forces at work, and large
quantities Of coal have been banked up
at the mines with no way to get them
to the public.
Through figures submitted by op-
orators representing the central com
petitive field, which embraces two
thirds of the bituminous industry, it
has been shown that the full-time
output of the mines has suffered great
ly on account Of car shortage.