The Snowflake herald. [volume] (Snowflake, Ariz.) 1913-1969, 1922-06-09
HOOVER SETS
FAIR COAL PRICES
MARK SET BY SECRETARY is DE-
CLARED MAXIMUM; LOWER
RATES POSSIBLE.
PRODUCTION COST CUT
PLAN CALLS FOR AGREEMENT
UPON FAIR PRICES FOR COAL
AT THE MINES
Western Newspaper Union News Serice.)

NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. fair prices
Tor spot coal in five districts have been
announced by Secretary Hoover after
reaching agreements with committees
representing those fields under the
plan adopted in the general conference
of operators from producing fields for
provisioning runaway prices on coal at
the mines during the strike.
1t was determined that in the Ala
bama district the fair price should be
% cents below the final Garfield
SCALE" or a maximum of 1920 a ton
to $3.50 ton.
In the Harlan and Hazard fields Of
Kentucky, the southern Appalachian
fields of Tennessee and Kentucky and
the PocohOntas, New River, Tug River
and Winding Gulf fields (Smokeless
coal districts of West Virginia) the
maximum price was fixed at $3.50 a
ton
Costs of production have been re-
duced in the Alabama field since the
final Garfield scale was determined,
Mr.. Hoover explained. The operators,
he said, emphasized that the price set
was a maximum that anyone might
sell below it and that long contracts
for coal are necessarily below the
levels set a few days ago
In the other districts, he declared,
production costs have increased since
the Garfield scale and that scale in.
Guided contract coal which now sells
below the new maximum. The Oper-
atorS are to absorb q reasonable SELL
ing expense at the new prices, Secre-
tary Hoover said.
Fair prices for the remaining fields
which are producing during the strike
were fixed after conferences between
Mr.. Hoover and committees represent
ing those districts which were APP
preached after the general meeting
The plan adopted at the general
meeting calls for agreements between
Mr.. Hoover and the different commit
tees upon fair prices for coal at the
mines in their respective districts,
based on the Garfield scale as modi-
fled by local conditions. Moral sua-
sion will be relied upon by Mr.. Hoover
to keep the agreements in force for
the duration of the strike. it was in
dicated
In the Kentucky and Tennessee
fields, Mr. Hoover said, in explanation
of the price set there, the last Gar
field prices ranged from So q ton to
1925 a ton, while in the West Vir-
ginia districts the last Garfield prices,
including selling commission, varied
from $3.50 to $3 a ton for domestic
coal and from $3.50 to $4.35 per ton
on export and bunker coal In the
Alabama field, he said, the Garfield
scale varied from $2.45 to $3.50 per
ton.
"The Alabama field" Mr. Hoover
said, sis not running at full capacity,
due to lack of orders, and production
can be increased $4,000 to 100000 tons
per week. Therefore, consumers in
southeastern states, together with
those accessible to water bourne coal
in the south Atlantic and Gulf sea-
boards. together with inland markets
as far as st. Louis and Kansas City,
would be we'll advised to take this
opportunity of securing supplies"
Secretary Hoover said the fixation
Of fair prices for all the producing
districts would be finished soon.