The Washington times., 1922-12-16
S(JS AIMS
PRICE IN
(;| I !
Quota Short, They Have to Buy
Where Possible, Increasing
Expense to Consumers.

Engineer Commissioner Keller, in
. letter to George Otis Smith, mem-
Der of the Federal Fact Finding
Commission. today advised the
Federal commission to divert it's
activity of grilling local coal deal
srs into the channels Of investiga-
tion of conditions at the mines. the
source of supply.
Commissioner Keller advised Mr.
Smith that he wished to reiteratc
that as far as the local Coal Com
mission can determine mo eX-
cessive profits are being made" He
also said that the high prices which
some of the .ocal dealers are
charging "seem due entirely to the
high prices prevailing in many Of
the mines from which coal Is OBJ
tanned for the District"
Efforts of the Public Utilities
Commission to maintain Washing
toms coal quota, Commissioner
Keller also stated in his letter.
shave not been productive Of salts
factory results"
Result Of Shortage.
MANY of the loca; dealers" Com.
missioner Keller said. ARE getting
only a small percentage of their
80 per cent allotment Of coal at
the lower mine prices. and this has
created such a shortage in their
available supply that they have
been compelled to purchase coal
from any source available to them,
with the consequent result that
high prices have been paid the
mine operators or their selling
agents.
Hearings before the U. S. Coal
Commission, investigating coal
prices in Washington. which were
to have been resumed in the In
terror Department building this
morning, were postponed until next
Thursday. In the absence OF John
Hays Hammond, chairman OF the
Commission, former Vice President
Charles r. Marshall presided.
Mr.. Marshall announced that no
word had been received from the
District Attorney as to whether the
Commission could hear testimony
Of coal dealers who had been in.
dicted and that the hearings could
not proceed until this Information
has. been obtained.
SuDpOon8s IN rOGCos
The subpoenas issued for the ap-
v,sarance OF coal dealers at this
morninr's session will be in force
FOR the next meeting Of the Com
nnission. In the event the District
Attorney has not made his report
10 the Commission by Thursday 1t
win be necessary to make another
postponement. .
]. Maury Dove. jr.. who testified
nj the last hearing protested on
hehalf of the coal dealers OF the
vord "indictment" being used In
connection with the postponement.
He said that the use OF the word
mislead the public in that many
nersons failed to understand that
testimony upon which indictments
we've returned was ex-part ana
That an Indictment did not neces-
sarily mean q conviction.
w. w. Griffith. local coal dealer.
WHO came prepared to give MS
sourity IL the Commission would
nermit him to testify. His offer
/. VA declined.
. ton for domestic sizes Of an
thracite and $13.76 . ton for
naa coal. an increase OF 26 and
kS cents. respectively, over the
fsir urice fixed by the District
Goal Commission, was denied the
ii Frank Joy Company today.
WIN Keep Fair Price.
z Answering the request Of the Joy
Company, written on December IL
~ 4 p. Agnew, treasurer. Walter
C Allen, executive secretary Of the
sscucmission expresses the belief that
~. tncreases asked by the Joy Com
many would permit an excessive
margin.
rsc.i Commission this morning. Mr..
xSrsv. speaking for the company,
- that II would acquiesce In
~. desIres Of the Commission, and
thst the present fair prices Of $3.50
~ anthracite coal IN domestic si.es
srd Sis for pea coal would be main
x>lunA .N ftnf tts