Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-10-31
FUEL COMMISSION HAS
NOLEGAL AUTHORITY
Neither Has il Power to Fix the
Prices Nor Direct Dis
tribution.

Emphatically denying the accusa-
};ons against them, and quoting facts
TO prove their case, members Oh thc
Delaware State Fuel Commission yes
terday answered charges OF unihrhess
and discrimination TO the evident sat
isfaction OF a committee appointed py
CITY Council to investigate the coii-
missions actions.
The two bodies mot at 4.3o O'CLOCK
Yesterday afternoon. in the ONCE oi
the Fuel Commission, on East Ninth
etreet. The coal commission was rep
resented by Leon Walker. chairman;
Robert ID. Kemp. distribution super
visor. and G. NJ. Dillon. secretary
John !. Mulvena. John ]. McNahb and
James McManus represented CITY
Council.
At the meeting the following facte'
startling to the members OF the CITY
Council investigating committee, were
brought out:
The Delaware Fuel Commission has
no law back OF Il. II was appointed
hv the Governor merely TO cooperate
with dealers 20 sct fair price for ar
thracitc coal and to see that every
consumer in the city is given equal
opportunity to buy coal.
The commission has no legal power
~ set standard price for COAL nor to
direct It's distribution.
No individual has received coal in
car load lots since the establishment
Of the commission. The Pennsylvania
Coal Commission. which controls coal
shipments % this state, does not per
NIT the sale of coal except TO dealers.
In naming the Delaware State Fuel
Commission, Governor Denney ne
elected to establish any fund for main
tanning the commissions headquarters
/, - untrue the members said. that
twcnty-cen.s n ton is added TO the
price of coal per ton for the upi0eep o.
the office In fact, the commission gets
but five cents a ton, and i'll many
cases. less than that, from the deal
ers.
Each family ia allowed n supply OF
Co1i TO last about ono month. Orders
are postdated only whom n duplication
occurs from ordering from more than
ono dealer.
The conference between tho com
mission and the council committee was
originally set for eleven o'clock. yes
terday morning. but due 10 the in
ability of several OF the members to
attend, it was changed to 40 Prior
to the opening of the conference. Mr..
Kemp asked the Councilmen X It
would be favorable TO them 10 have a
newspaper man present. 10 which they
asSented.
The nature of tho rumoTs concern
ing the commissions actions was eN-
p!ained by Councilman Mulvcna. who
then asked Mr.. Kemp X he ever heard
of any one individual receiving a
carload of coal, TO which the COM
missioner emphatiCally answered, no,
Several accusations made against
the commission by the Wilmington
coal Company, with offices at Front
and Orange streets, were read by Mr.
McNahb. The commit ssion was charged
with "refUSai to give assistance oI
cooperation 10 the Wilmington Goa
Company" and with post de-
livery orders OF the Wilmington Goa
Company 70 provide families who are
in extreme need OF coal" The company
accused Mr.. Walker with influencing
a Philadelphia coal company, with
which the local concern has done husi-
ness fur a number of years. 10 stoi
further deliveries OF coal.
This charge was denied by Mr.
Walker, who said that he had tried L
have the Philadelphia company send
coal to the Wilmington Coal Company
hut they had refused on the ground.
that they had 20 look after their larg.
er dealers in preference 20 the smaller
T-,a 20 .l,, ,..~,
Mr.. Walker said those who had no
received coal were persons who ha,
sent orders 10 more than one dealei
for different grades OF coal.
Mr.. Walker told the members OF tn,
committee that the Pennsylvania Goa
Commission was practically the cza
% the coal situation, over which ever
the Federal government has no con
troll. The Pennsylvania Commies.o,
says we are TO get 60 per cent OF on
normal supply, Nit Walker po!ntc
ou;, and that is all we will get. Tn
coal shipments 10 the city last wee
We're 2,907 tons. The total 70 III
State was 42.403 tons.
The members of the Council inves
rgatior committee were very evident
satisfied with the answers OF the com
inissioners. On leaving the com
missions office following the confer
ence, Mr.. Mulvena said he had learn
&C good bit" They Will report I
the City Council on Thursday night.
Goa! dealers throughout the city hel
conference in the coal commission
office last night. The fuel condition
regarded by them az favorable.
Maximum results at minimum COZ