Evening star., 1923-09-20
RISE IN COAL PRICE
I PUT ON CONSUMER
New England HousehoIders
Already Paying so Cents
More Per Ton.
BY J. @. ROYLE,
Special Dispatch TO The s+or

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, September 2oon,,
formal adoption of the two-ve.r
agreement between the anthracite
miners and operators was awaited
until the prices of coal at the n,ira
were advanced 20 cents a ton bv Some
operators and still higher by otbars
This advance, as was predicted q,
these columns, was made in epe
stove and chestnut sizes, those u.sd
almost exclusively for domestic con-
sumption. This advance, therefore. ,-
expected to fall heaviest on the house
holder.
Hise Put on Householder,
In fact, the householder in parts of
New England felt the shock of the
price bullet before he heard the re-
port OF the gun, for prices had been
advanced SO cents ton at retail in
boston few days ago. Dealers in
massachusetts, however. have an
hounced that they will make an effort
70 absorb the remaining 90 cents a
ton OF the increase by reducing ex-
/ button u uistfl-
Dealers in other sections have NOT
aeLIiounced similar policy as yet, al
| ehoush Gov. Pinchot of PennsyIyania
In declaring that the new wage scala
named IN the agreement woIljd urar
| rant an increase of go cents a tor ar
the mine, declared that all OF If ought
70 pc absorbed by operators, carriers
ana distributors. However, Fuel Ad-
ministrator Huffman of MassacbT-
setts stated today that consumers in
that state never had been better
stocked at this season than at present,
ne estimated that the needs of so per
cent of the public were well supplied
Return to Work Slowly.
The miners are drifting back to
work slowly in the anthracite fields
largely because considerable repair
work and dead" work must be done
| pefore the contract miners can COM
| mence cutting coal at their old rate of
production. BY next week. however
the mines are expected to be turning
out normal tonnage-at the ad-
vanced cost to purchasers. The ad-
Vances Will come in most instances
| on the domestic sizes as the steam
! sizes are sold in competition with BIZ
| luminous coal Prices for the latter
are down because of heavy production
| and excess stocks.
Apparently no immediate steps are
being taken to protect the public
| against price advances on anthracite
! coal already on the surface which was
| mined before the advanced scale of
! wages went into effect. A former fuel
administrator of this state stated
I me first part of this month, before
1 the new agreement was reached, that
supplies of anthracite then available
| were sufficient for all needs for four
! months.
Price Jumps Unnecessary.
| II these figures were correct there
| exists coal today which could be sold
| to the consumer for a long time with
out the necessity of price advances.
OF course, some of that reserve sup
ply already was in the hands of con-
| sumers, but dealers in some locali-
ties are getting already higher prices
for fuel which has not yet been pro-
duced, at higher costs.
! The colder weather has stimulated
sales of bituminous coal, to some ex-
| tent, notably in Indiana, Illinois and
Wisconsin, but prices are. still low.
Gamers in Strong Position.
Gamers declared today that the ad-
vantage which for time lay with
the grocers and buyers of canned
| goods now has returned to the hands
| of the packers. The various packs
now being finished up have not reach
ed the proportions which were ex-
pected and the reserve supplies IN the
! hands of jobbers and dealers nave
melted away. The pea pack is wen
| disposed of already, according to can
ners, and the corn pack has been af-
! fected somewhat by frosts in some
sections looked to FOR fancy packs.
| From all over the country come re-
ports that tomato packs nave peen
curtailed or DELAYED by cold weather
or disadvantageous conditions. The
| length of the season is expected to
determine the final position OF the
pack, however. This is because late
| frosts necessitated replanting in some
sections last spring, with consequent
late DEVELOPMENT of the fruit.
So far as fruit is concerned the
sharp rise in the price of sugar re-
Gently is a strengthening factor