The Washington times., 1922-08-06
COAL TAX PROPOSED
FOR DISTRICT USERS
Keller Says Impost Is Neces-
sary to Pay Fuel Admins
tration Expenses.
(Contipued from First Pase.)

Continued from First Page.)
power to prevent profiteering here.
There Is no penalty for such an Of
fense, however. and the only manner
In which a coal dealer may be penal.
lied will be by cutting off his sup
ply.
Dove In Saddle.
the Coal Merchants Board of Trade,
the dominant factor in the coal busi.
ness here, continues to dominate the
present situation.
Dove yesterday morning forbade
newspaper men and news phOtog.
raphers from attending a meeting of
the Utilities Commission, at which
thirty coal dealers appeared. Dove
also prevented photographs being
made Of those present at the meet.
ing.
A schedule Of fourteen priorities,
drawn by Colonel Keller, was sub
mitted to the coal men yesterday
morning. They would not accept
the schedule without a private con-
ference. This was granted on con-
dition that they meet with the
commission again yesterday after
noon at o'clock.
Mr.. Dove again took a hand and
shortly before o'clock, called
Colonel Keller to announce that the
coal men were not prepared to
meet with the commission, but
would probably do SO on Monday
The commission, therefore, held no
meeting.
THE coal men are not going to
dictate in this matter" Colonel
Keller declared. III they are not
ready to do business on Monday
we will have to go right ahead
do not believe that the emergency
Is so great that final action can
not wait until Monday"
No Price Fixing.
The colonel said that mo price
fixing has been done as yet and
that course will probably not be
followed"
The commission will take steps to
have consumers here patronize
their regular coal man In so far
as possible.
There will be no standard price.
but a standard profit, the colonel
said.
1t is the opinion Of Colonel Keller
that a profit Of Is per cent is not
unreasonable. and this probably
will be the percentage of profit to
be allowed the dealers.
The colonel stated that the COM
mission as yet has only a general
idea Of the stock Of coal on hand in
the District, but that data had been
gathered which, on being totaled,
will show just how much the Dis
trict has to draw on before resort
ing to calls on the Federal Fuel
Administration.
The Potomac Electric Power Com.
pany is experiencing difficulty in
getting coal and through the Utili-
ties Commission has appealed to H.
b. Spencer, Federal Fuel Admins
traitor, for twelve cars Of fifty tons
each a day to keep their supply re-
plenished. The company has on
hand sufficient coal for approximate
ly thirty days.
Dealers to Aid.
Colonel Keller declares that he be-
lieves the coal dealers here will
work in harmony with the Utilities
Commission in the present emer-
gency, and to that end he has asked
them to name a small committee Of
coal dealers. representing all
branches of the business here to
work with the commission in drafting
practical workable plan for sub.
mission to the Federal Fuel Admin
istration.
No relief in the coal situation here
Is looked for from the Chesapeake
and Ohio canal, Colonel Keller
stated. The coal handled over the
barge line on the canal, he said, Is
mirred from union fields and those
mines are now closed by the strike.