The Washington times., 1923-08-30
COAL DEALE rs
WILL PAY FOR
PEACE
Pinchot Plan Puts Burden OF
Settlement on Retailers
and Railroads.
Continued from First Page.l
he Pinchot meaning in these mat

4 E1E6A \ 09Osg
the Pinchot meaning in these mat
ters.
II their interpretation differs from
the miners Interpretation, there
might be stoppage of work until
the two interpretation are recon.
ciied.
| It is also true that the operators
believe that the Pinch0t plan inn
poses greater burdens upon them
than It seems to impose.
They despair, however, Of being
able to convey that intricate statis-
tical fact successfully to: the public
before tomorrow noon when they
must hand Governor Pinchot their
answer.
They regard the Pinchut plan as
a box which is extremely uncom-
| Portable but also extremely lacking
| in exits.
The Pinchot plan is today the
accepted basis Of the final settle
ment whether that settlement
stoppage or later ultimately after
/ q stoppage.
Praise Tor Document.
The verdict upon 1t from the
most unfavorable standpoint was
expressed here today by a visiting
operator who Is not a. member OK
the operators committee rs follows:
81 think the plan is a bad eco
nomic document but a great diplo-
matte document. It acquits the
miners Of being profiteers by shy
ing that their increased wages need
not mean increased prices to the
public. It acquits the operators
Of being profiteers by saying that
their profits will not enable them
to absorb more than ona-sixth or
the cost Of the increased wages.
! 1t then takes five-Sixths Of that
cost and losses It onto the rail-
roads and onto the local wholesale
and retail coal dealers. who are
not here represented and who are
not parties tn the controversy. 1t
Ifec0nciIes the cOntcnding parties
at the principal expense Of absent
parties. Could anything be more
calculated to bring the contendlng
parties together?
This analysis. however, is regard
| ed as incomplete until there is add
| ed to it q picture OF what Governor
| Pinchot can do about the railroads
as compared with what he can do
about the local dealers.
| His plan, In essence, IL that the
operators shall add so cents TO the
| price per ton OF coal at the mouth
of the mine and that then this so
cents az the coal proceeds toward
the consumer. shall be absorbed"
through reduced charges by the rail-
| roads and by the local dealers and
SO shall never reach the consumer in
increased prices.
Can Regulate Dealers.
1t IL noted that Governor Pinchot
can reach the railroads only through
| the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion, which. b not. in any degree
enthusiastic on the subject Of any
| special reduction OF anthracite
freight rates, whereas he can reach
the local dealers by setting on foot
in Pennsylvania an organization
| and propaganda for instructing
every community in the whole United
States on the subject OF how to
regulate local dealers and Of how
to restrict and reduce their profits.
The Interstate Commerce Commits
sion will not act on anthracite freight
rates for many months. 1t fixed
them to its satisfaction on the spe-
cial anthracite railroads In 1915. It
recently. to help the United States
Coal Commission. told one of its
MEMBERSHIP. McChord-to start in
curing into anthracite rates again.
He went to Europe. He wrote the
decision fixing these rates in 1915.
1t Is an old story with the Interstate
Commerce Commission, and its mem
bers will write no new chapters
hastily.
Meanwhile, on the other hand,
Governor Pinchot can-and will
begin an immediate campaign of puo-
licity and education on tanning the
local coal dealer and on putting him
into harness Of approved economi-
cal public service.
WIZ Foil PrOfiteers.
This campaign-which will be ma
tion-wtde-is for Pinchot the obliga-
tory sequel Of ais present strike set
Element effort.
In order to make that effort sue
cessful he has committed himself
to going out and saving the whole
country from local coal profiteering
by local coal tradesmen.
He will live up to that commit.
ment and it Is calculated here that
the coal dealers of America might
as well wake up to the fact that
they are elected to pay for the
settlement at Harrisburg, and that
the only revolutionary result OF
that settlement will be a vigorous
new endeavor to change their bust
| ness from being a purely private
adventure into being some sort of
regulated public utility.