New Britain herald., 1923-10-19
JUMP IN PRICE OF
COAL CAUSES KICK
Mass. Investigation Is Immediate
" Under WAY

Boston, Oct, ls,-ineTsase in Goa
prices BY retail dealers since the an
ghraeile strike has started an iaVesgi
cation By the special coal insesiisat
tag committee OF the legislature
which opened yesterday aflsFheen
with a hearing In the state house
fhus TAR the inquiry Is confined "a
dealers Ia the Metropolitan district
isnt the committee, Of which sena.
tor John w, ilaigis Of Greenfield IL
chairman and Rep, John Mitchell OF
Springfield a member is prepared 10
extend the seop OF the probe
throughout the state. Immediately
upon being advised that the retail.
ers anywhere have followed the Dos.
ten lead and jumped their prices.
Today II OF the largest coal com
nanieR IN the Metropolitan District
were represented. While they were
present by invitation OF the commit.
tee. they would have been served
with summons by the committee. had
they failed 10 attend. All were
placed under oath before testifying.
IL developed that all the companies
represented. except one. had PARTED.
pated In a recent increase OF so cents
a ton for anthracite.
New Price Not Warranted
Senator Haigis. In an opening state.
ment. made IL emphatic that the com.
mittee looked upon the latest ad-
vance or 30 cents ton as "unwar-
ranted." he said.
From April ] TO Aug. 1 domestic
sizes OF anthracite were selling In the
Boston district for SIS a net ton. On
or about Aug. I the deulers In the
Boston district increased the price by
90 cents To $3.50 n ton. AS there
had been no Increase In mine prices
and no material increase, II any, in
freight rates during this period, this
bo-cent increase by the dealers of
Boston district appeared to the CON-
mittee to be unwarranted.
ION Sept. l the contract between
the anthracite operators and the
United Mine Workers expired, and
mining was suspended. Shortly aft
err this, Goye. Pinchot brought the
parties together. resulting In a settle
ment by which a 10 per cent increase
In wages was granted and the eight |
hour day extended.
Dealers Should Absorb Increase
Anthracite mining was resumed on |
Sept. 10. The operators thereupon an
nounced new price schedules. carving
increases for domestic sizes varying
for egg, stove and chestnut from G5
cents to 80 cents per gross ton, and
for broken from 25 cents to 90 cents
per gross ton. After this new price
schedule had gone into effect, carrying
increases in the mine price which in
no case exceeded 80 cents per gross
ton and which averaged under 70
rents per net ton,' most of the dealers
N the Boston district put into effect
4 second increase In price of so cents
l net ton, making 81 in all.
1T has been generally recognized /
hat the dealers could probably not t
lbsorb the entire increase in mine ]
'rice resulting from the settlement
'ut. with NORMAL production once F,
more restored after but brief in l
eruption, and with new contract in i
fleet running for two years, thus in q
uring uninterrupted production, it t
vas believed that the retailers could (
.bsorb part of the increase and IL a
heir business was conducted with rea- Z
enable efficiency, could still make a {
air profit Tn other words, while the q
0-cent increase of last August may s
ave become justified in part at least c
y subsequent events, there appeared S
. be no justification for any further '
1crease. and still less for any increase F
l excess Of that imposed by the OPP I
rators, which, as has been stated, av- "
RACES under 70 cents a net ton" 9