Evening journal., 1922-12-02

HNUclen supply OF n4tAluluNNa tphi'
The failure OF domestic consumers
20 avail themselves OF these sub
stltutes leaves many householders
with insufficient coal.
. 1T is a comparatively simple mat
ter for people TO learn how 10 sup
plement domestic sizes OF anthrtcit
with smaller sizes. or 20 substitute
3 luminous coal or coke and there Is
no restriction on the amount that
can be purchased and stored
PHILADELPHIA. Pa. Dec. q
Another legal battle Is 10 be fought
before collection OF the Pennsylva-
nie anthracite tax OF / y per cent on
the value OF the coal IS started by
all the operators. In Philadelphia
approximately 80 per cent OF the
tonnage will not be affected at once
by the ruling OF the United States
supreme Court UNFOLDING the con
stitutlonality OF the tax.
Samuel ID. Warmer. president or
the Lehlgh Coal and Navigation
Company. furnished the foregoing
information yesterday in a discus
sion Of the effects OF the Supreme
Courts ruling. He announced that
this company and the Philadelphia
and Reading Coal and Iron Com
pany were appellants in a case now
lodged with the State Supreme
Court on which final decision had
not been made.
The case decided by the United
states Supreme Court was one be-
gun in the name Of an individual
and backed by all the operators.
also by attorneys OF several safes
in the hard coal-consuming territory.
II attacked the constitutionality OF
the measure by which Pennsylva-
MIA seeks to collect the tax.
The case still TO be decided. which
was started by the Reading and Lee
high Coal and Navigation Com
panies. is aimed at certain details
Of the act OF Legislature. II was
filed with the Dauphin County Court
where the two operating eompan-
les lost. Appeal was then taken to
the state Supreme Court
Pending decision on that case. Mr..
Warmer announced that his COM
pany and the Reading were not re-
quired 10 pay taxes 10 the state UNI
der the act. He also stated that
neither company had begun the col
lection OF the tax and that, 10 the
best OF his knowledge. other oper-
ators had not collected II.
So far there has been no concerted
action by the operators with respect
to the tax. At the Anthracite Blu
eau Of Information it was said no in
formation had been obtained as to
the effect Of the tax on the retail
price OF coal. All operators except
the Lehigh and Reading, however
are expected 10 begin collecting 80.
Reports reached Edgar c. FELTON,. .
state Fair Price Comm .ssioner, yes
terday. that some operators were
adding twenty cents n ton 20 the
price Of coal At the mines. The re-
port came from the main fuel adj
ministrator, but Il could not be con-
hrmed.
Until the pending case Il settled,
Mr. Warmer refused TO make any
attempt 20 estimate what addition
the tax would make to this present
price OF anthracite.
we shall cross that bridge when
we come 10 g." he said. For the
present we have been assured thar
since we have an appeal before the
state Supreme Court on features 0f
the act not concerned with the qucs-
lions laid before the Federal Court.
we are estopped from the response
bility OF paying or collecting at this
time"
Announcements previously made
by the Anthracite Bureau OF Infor-
nation that the tax adds twelve and
q halt cents to the cost II producing
each ton OF coal were explained by
Mr.. Warmer The figure applies
only TO domestic or prepared sizes,
and is allocated to that tonnage be-
cause operators contend the steam
sizes may NOT be increased in price.
THE principle that the price OF
lteam sizes OF anthracite is fixed by
he competition OF soft coal" said
ir. Warriner, "still holds. At pres
mt the market for steam sizes is
itagnant. In New York harbor ! am
informed barges needed for other
work are tied up, laden with small
ilzes OF anthracite for which no
market can be found. Obviously I
hose sizes cannot bear their proper {
ion Of the tax.
The figure OF twelve and a half ,
,ents a ton was made up on the rec
,rds OF 1921 production made by the !
United States Geological Survey. It ,
: impossible as yet to determine Just ,
h. Of total No .
Tue will be for this year"
According 10 Mr.. Warmer some
II the operators in the anthracite
ields are paying taxes aggregating
'ortv cents ton to the State. coun-
les and municipalities. The addi
ion of twelve and a half cents a ton