The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-08-31
Va shington.
By THOMAS l.. STOKES (LenNed Wire tO The AEe-HeraId

GenNed Wire to The Age-HeraId)
 WASHINGTON, August 30.-With no appreciable reduction in other contributors to the general cost of living, a skyrCcketing of anthracite coal prices and a rise in the cost of bituminous to the consumer appear likely from indications here, unless some action is taken to check the upward trend
 The United States coal commission.
 in a report issued Tuesday. expresses
 the fear that anthracite prices will soar in the event of a strike because of the operations of "unscrupulous wholesalers" whom it planes for the rise in price last year.
 "The price of soft coal has jumped 6 cents recently, after remaining
 practically stationary for two
 months, figures on average prices all
 over the country gathered by Federal
 Fuel Director Wadleigh showed Tuesday.
 Should a stoppage Of mining oc-
 cur on September 1, it will accentuate the present panic demand for an
 thracite and unless the buyer and the | retailer representing him learn from l past experience interruptions whole l salers will have another opportunity l to repeat their speculative activities | of last fall and winter on any coal l that may be on the market after | September l, as well as following the resumption of mining" the coal com
 mission states in it's report ! The coal commi ssion fixes the
 blame for high anthracite prices last year, with the statement that the speculative jobber or wholesaler was
 a prime cause of the extremely high
 premiums paid for anthracite during | the recent shortage in New England, as well in other parts Of the coun- 1 try"
 ! FTtt.. caused, the commission found. by wholesalers with related interests passing the coal among themselves and each taking his profit.
 Tn some cases the inter-relations
 extend to a chain of operators and
 wholesalers it states. Tn times of ! sellers market anthracite is passed | fron1a one to another of these closely
 related interests, each taking ] profit on the transaction with the result that wholesal margins are l pyramided and the consumer pays extremely high prices and profits to
 a group of related interests
 The commission found that con siderable proportion Cf coal cars traced went through the hands of two wholesalers at margins varying from 25 cents to s4.75 a ton. The speculators even found way around
 the fair practices committee of Penn sylvania.
 Some mining companies" the
 commission states, were fCnnd to 1 have special arran gements with wholesalers by which the mine billed
 the coal to the wholesaler at the
 prices approved by the Pennsylvania ! fair practices committee with the
 understanding that if the wholesaler sold the coal at a price above the
 mine price billed plus stipulated wholesale margin or commission. the wholesaler remitted the balance to the operator.
 ! "Other mining companies sold coal to individuals, in some cases. their own officers, at prices agreed upon
 with the fair practices committee These Individuals then sold the coai to other wholesalers al higher prices"
 The commission says there is not much hope in state regulation. In it's report on the anthracite industry recently, it recommended that fed eral commission be set up here to regulate the coal industry.