Norwich bulletin., 1921-05-31

that Freight Rates are Coming Do"n, So Why Should the Consumer Buy Ooal Early?" It is quite evident that the writer of these articles is not in posses sion of full knowledge of the conditions with which the anthracite industry IS faced at the present time. In the nrst place. no one would be more pleased to have prices reduced than the retail CT. but there are three factors involved in the cost of coal to the consumer namely production transportation and local distribution"
 In 1920 the presidents anthracite wage commission granted an advance from April l. 1920, to April 1, 1922, and if We should try to reduce the miners wages before April 1922, there would certain | ly be general strike. Is it the readers opinion that we should attempt this? The increase in labor costs over the pre-wsr period in the mining district is 13S.5 per | cent according to the monthly labor re- view. United States depa artment of la bor for October. 192o). The labor cost | in the production of anthracite mining
 represents more than 70 per cent of the
 total Every business man knows that
 the costs of all supplies such as timber,
 mine rails. grain. etc.. have more than i doubled: whereas the February Month lily Labor Review states that the whole sale price of anthracite coal has in
 creased 9S.5 per cent. This figure means
 the mine price and not the percentage of increase in cost to the consumer. it is a matter of common knowledge that
 freight rates have been advanced ap- proximately 100 per cent. and there is
 every reason to believe that the retail
 CTS expenses have increased in the same proportion.
 There has been before the Pennsylva-
 mia legislature two bills relating to taxes
 on anthracite coal One Of these has
 been signed and becomes a law July If the second is acted upon favors bly,. il
 means a tax on the output of the anthra cite mines of per cent. in total. and ai 30 per cent. of the tonnage consists o
 steam sizes which are sold in competition
 with bituminous ccal al Jess than cost O production. the entire tax will have C be carried by the 70 per cent of do mestic coal which will he an increase O , per cent on the cost of coal at tn , mines.
 One writer in saying that the price Q
 coal must come down states that fl th retailers do not provide cheaper coal, in , federal. state and local government! s will get on the job for them. When th
 government took control of the suga market did the price Go down? Wa , that the case in the wool rnarket7 Wha e
 fall of 1917? Our greatest advances f z prices have come under government reg
 ulations
 /, Many do not recognize the difference Q between anthracite and bituminous coa e The situation in the anthracite industr , is that the mines are working full tim, Q with the exception Of a few whose owr il CTS claim that present prices do not pei l. init of their opration at a profit. an
 hoe HHara V steadily twelve months in the year if W
 are 10 have an adequate supply of dC 6, mestic coal. The retailer stores all | is can at this time of the year but if n 10 consumer does not buy and take tn ,- coal the retailer has to stop orderir from the mines. He has 10 send out CO l. in order to take more in. If the pr h vate householders as a class do not bu
 take and pay for their share each ar !. every month. there will come a mon to when they cannot get it, and it is f this reason that we tell the consumer ,, buy early"
 ,d The season freight rate which is oft, m referred to, proposes to reduce the ra
 of freight during the summer mont
 25c. but raise it 25c during the wints
 when coal is not So easily transporte
 That will be soc a ton difference betwe W maximum and minimum rates. and it 9n too late this year to expect such "a rk ical move to become effective Anoth ld quotation from the press states tn .ir What the coal business needs to do st sell it's coal is to offer it's product 10 { n- public at a right price" IL is our I nd lief that if all the retailers dropp D. their prices soc per ton today. or a d
 lar a ton. that same public would VI lf- for another drop, and if that was D, ol- sinle they would still wait. thinking
 might go lower. The time 10 buy is nc ti- There are some companies who have cd | -eady raised the price at wholesale fr so lOc to 75c per ton at the mines. C