Evening star., 1923-07-08
Heauy Buying Indicates Fear
Of Coal Shortage This Winter
Production Ab0ye Normal, and All Needs
Viii Be Met If Ne,U Strike
Is Not Called.

his coal until he sees cold weather
coming, and then the retailers and
transportation facilities have more
than they can do.
| An interesting movement of several
million tons of bituminous coal into
New England by rail, which is a de-
velopment Of recent years, indicates
the substitution of bituminous for
anthracite in many homes.
/ Report Ready Tomorrow.
The anthracite report will be pub
lished tomorrow. The operators and
miners in the anthracite field have
gone into conference at Atlantic City.
The miners have submitted their de-
, mand for an increase Of 20 per cent
in wages. Undoubtedly there will be
long -drawn-out negotiations over
these demands before a final settle
| ment is reached.
One of the outstanding develop
1 ments in the situation is the demands
of the so-called radical elements, who
are outspoken for socialistic regula-
| tion of the industry. This situation
exists strongly in the anthracite in
dustry. President Lewis of the
| miners is claimed as a conservative
The struggle between the conserva-
tives and the radical elements in the
present anthracite negotiations will
be hard fought, but it is the belief of
those in closest touch with the prob
lem that the conservatives will domi-
a In, = to kalt tL,@ .
the industry will have to go through
a long period OF negotiation to ad-
just differences.
National Strike Move.
Then too. of major Importance at
| the Atlantic City conference will come
an attempt of the union miners to
fix the date of expiration of the
| agreement on the same date as the
bituminous agreement expires-so
that a national strike would be pos
sible.
The anthracite agreement expires
on August 81, this year, and the BIZ
luminous on April 1, 1924. A strong
effort will be made by the anthracite
! leaders to have the agreements ex-
! pire on the same date, say April /
! 1925 or 1925, so that a national strike
could be accomplished. including both
the anthracite and bituminous fields
as happened in 1922, when control
] in both fields expired on April 1. II
| the anthracite people cannot make
| the date April l it is foregone con-
| clusion that the bituminous people
| when they convene, will endeavor to
| agree upon the same date as tina,
i fixed by the anthracite people.
Due for Comment.
! In the report of the coal commits
, sion, which Is coming outNtomorrow,
this proposed identical date fixing
! will receive vigorous comment, ac-
! cording to reliable reports.
The bltuminous control does not
expire until April /. 1924, SO there
! is really no worry over the bitumi-
Eous situation and very little like
| lihood that there will be any short
! age of industrial coal. The only diff
| ticulty will be due to transportation
| shortage.
Those who have closely analyzed
! the bituminous situation find that
| production has fallen off about 10
| per cent and the market is soft
Many districts are said TO be work
| ing without any profit. Every one is
| develop something. While the coal
commission anthracite report comes
out tomorrow, their bituminous re-
| port is not due until September
Nothing much in the way Of de-
velopment of policies or showing of
hands by the miners or operators is
expected until this report of the
commission is made.