Evening star., 1921-05-17
OBSERVERS FEEL CHEAPER COAL
is IN SIGHT FOR THIS WINTER
J
Possible Large Reductions at the Mines
and Falling Freig ght Rates Seen
as Controlling the Price.

Present anthracite coal prices in
Washington are about - per cont
higher than they were in l"l7 and
prices for hitum.nous coal ar" NOW
about 10 per cent higher than they
or" " hcu America entered tn" world
war. BitumiuouS coal pr:c, now arc
practically stabilized.
THIS has b"cone known in conneC-
ton With bids submitted to tho gov
v"rnmcnt fuel Yards for tho coal year
ending April /. i?2-. Bids submitted
on May Ia fo- coal for conSu nptIon
by The various government depart
mentS and th. District government
institutions ar" practically As low as
they can possibly he under present
conditions. George :. Pope. chlcl en-
Gincer OF the government fuel yards
said today.
The fuel yards of the govcrnme nj.
which can be taken as typical, as they
purchase more coal than All the prl-
Natc consumers in Washington com
bned viii pay this year for bltu-
minous coal about $50 per gross ton.
delivered at the yard. They VIII pay
for anthracite in the neighhorhood OF
$50 per gross ton fob mines ihe
hituminous market. however. has
gone further on the road TO S'api''-
Zation of prices than has the ah'hra
cite market.
Present high prices of both kinds
of coal are the result Of various IN :
| creases in the cost of lahor anu
| transportation. both OF Which; II Is
| declared are consistent with the up
! ward trend in the cost of every com
| modify in the last five years. yer
| the consumer in Washington today
! which, in a large measure. means tit
| government empioye. whose salarH
| has practically been stationary ."l
! many years. pays now tor c"at at t"t
| ninc Substantially the same price
,s I've maid for coal in his bin siN
J Years ago In other words, he pays
| The greatly increased cost OF trans
| portation and dumping in i'ioli
| to the 1915 pric" of coal
| coal price increases nav nre,'
+ gradual since 1915, however. and.
| u-hiIc the private consumer does not
| noX feel their effect h" Will proha =
! hly have the benefit Of prices next
winter which are lower than IN"
| present level As illustrating the
! coal to the government fuel yards
! thu. largest wholesaler in w aShinE-
ton. which practically reflects the
! price TO tho consumer IN IN" capt. I'd l.
! tables complied by Mr.. Pope sh""
! that the fuel yards paid S1.io per
! yross ton +. o. II. mines for the fiscal
year ending June 80. 1871 BY order
! Of the President. on August Il. l?i''
! the price was raised TO sal per
gross ton and. by Supplemental
I nrosidoutial order authorizing A.
! cent increase per net ton. the
| price was raised to s2-al. Ear'y IN
ia1S by an order of the Fuel Ad-
! ministration. the price was increased
! 20 per cent. making it S3:l4 per nei
ION The Fuel Administration on May
-. 1918. ordered A ten-cent decrea Sc
{ per net ton. making the price S3,e2.
! Wage Inrrense Comes.
/ ON July /, 1919. when the fuel YARD
made its 19I9-l92O cotracts. ano
/ after the mine operators had passed
ont of government regulation of price
! the price was $3.50 per gross ton
! Then came the several increases III
miners wages. On December /. 1919
after the miners strike of November
| that year. as a result of II per cen'
wage increase the price was raised tc
s354 and on April y. 1920, the fue
yards paid s4.16. On August le. 1920
as result of increases to day wag'
iminers. the price to the fuel yards wa!
1900 Since that time. by competi