New-York tribune., 1922-06-01
Hoover Fixes
Soft Coal Price
I'm Five Fields
Secretary Announces Max
imum Fair Charges. TO Pre-
vent Couging During Con
tinuancc Of the Strike
To Include All Districts
Action. Looking TO Moral
Suasion, Taken After Con-
ference With Operators

UArEfNGTON. May 81 Maximum
- nrt.cs for soft coal IN I've dis
-. vcre announced tonight by Sec
- Uoove. after reaching agree
.,,cs.s ri,h committees rcpresenting
those fields. under the plan adopted - -
.bc general conference % operator
rom producing fields Tor rreVentlns
runaway prices on coal AZ the n''H''
during the strike. -, Al,
hama district the fair prioe snoulo os
o- eft. below the anal Garfield scsle
-, ,,arimun % s. 20 % S1.ov toh,
H. ,ho Ifarlard and Hazard helds o.
tre,.ycLv. ana TIE Pooshonta'' Sen ',
p,..r Tug River and Winding nu'.
"a. lsr,okeles- coal districts of ives,
Nirciniai tho maximum priee was NN''
90 $3.50 ton. 49,. 49,. h.., -,
5ueed m the Alabama heid sinco w
f,el Garfield scales we're deieInl' '"cu
vr. Hoover explained. The operators
te said. emphasized that the price se,
u.s. "A maximum. that any ono ihlsh
seu below 10 aud that long contract
for coal are necessarily belo" INC
levels se. today.
Absorb ReAHonAble Ihpen-'
T., tho other districts. he declared
production costs have increased since
,tc Garveld scale and that scale n
e.rded contract coal which now sells
below tho new maximum. lhs opeii
a.ors arc 10 absorb a reasonable 'eil-
Ing expense a. tho new prices sec
refary Hoover said. ,-
Fair nrices for the remaining tslds
which are producing during the stfhe
are % be fixed tomorrow alter con-
rororcos between Mr. Hoover ana COM
r,it-ocs rcprcsentinc those districts.
vtich were appointed after the genera.
meeting to-day.
meeting calls Tor agreements between
nr Hoover and the difcrert commit
tees upon fair prices Tor Goa a. the
mines in their respective districts
based upon tho Garfield scale As
modified hv local conditions moral
suasion will be relied upon by Mr.
Hoover 20 keep the agreements ~ force
For the duration Of the strike. 10 was
indicated
In tho Kentucky snd Tennessee helds.
lir. Hoover said ~ explanation OF the
,r,cc set thcre, the last Garfield prices
ranged from s. a ton 10 $3.50 a ton.
,rhtle in the West Virginia districts
the Jas. Garfield prices. including sell
ing commission. varied from $50 %
So ton for domestic coal and from
s7s5 20 S435 a ton or export and
bunker coal. IN the Alabama held, hs
said. the Garfield scale varied rom
Sc.4J 20 $3.50 ton.
Advisory Committee named
Secretary Hoover said the fxation -
fair prices for al the producing DIS.
.ric.s probably would be finished
within the nor. day or two. adding thAi
he planned o. reach agreements with
the various committees as rapid.y ai
possibio in line with his announced m
'erfion - restraining prices and in-
creasiug production during the strike.
The Secretary announced tho ap
po.ntmoaf OF an advisory committee &C
begin meeting az once with commit
tees representing operators m the va
rious districts 20 inquire into the price
situation. The committee consists Of
4. NJ Ocie. 4. r. Boekus. o. New lor.
George OTIS Smith. director o. th'
Gsologi cal Survey. +. A. Holbrook. act
ne director % the Bureau 81 Mines
and =. r. Wadieifh. chief OF the Goa
division of the Commerce DEPARTING NJ