Evening star., 1925-07-07
Remedies for Coal Problems.


the Federal Trade Commission for
| dealing with the coal industry, its
suspension of business and frequent
! high prices. The report, which has
just been made public, contains the
recommendations of the commission
to Congress regarding the anthracite
industry.
The suggestion that full light be
turned on coal mining and distribution
| in this country. with periodic reports
on costs, supplies and prices, has pre-
viously been made by other bodies.
But nothing has been done about it.
1t was one of the suggestions submit
ted by the Presidents coal commission
a couple of years ago when a strike
was threatened. How much better off
had the recommendation been fol-
lowed. A strike in the anthracite mines
is impending. where the operators and
miners are at odds over wages and
working conditions, and where the
existing agreement expires September
/. In the bituminous industry there
is trouble ahead, too, it is said. A
threat has been made to call out the
soft coal miners, If necessary, to help
the anthracite miners win their fight.
The coal problem has been before
Congress for years. But it is one of
the problems which Congress has left
to time for solution. Beyond a num-
ber of speeches. the legislators have
done nothing. Yet here is a problem
which vitality affects all the people.
Coal prices have gone up and down,
but they never go quite down to the
earlier level. The cost of fuel is a
and an item that cannot be avoided.
1t is not possible to burn last years
coal, as it is possible to wear last
years suit of clothes, if there must be
economy. Congress has control of in
terstate commerce under the Consti-
tuition, and coal is distinctly an item
of interstate commerce.
The Federal Trade Commission
urges that a Federal agency be set
up to publish regularly all informa-
tion regarding coal. The coal opera
tors are averse TO this. They contend
that they are hara ssed today by many
demands by the Government for in
formation, which il costs them con-
siderable money to supply. The Trade
Commission in its report has disclosed
much interesting information regard
ing the profits made by wholesalers
and others in the anthracite industry,
which no doubt those concerned would
be entirely willing not to spread broad
cast. For example, the commission
points out, the gross profits realized
by the wholesalers in the Fall of 1923,
due to a wide range in mine prices
charged for anthracite, were as high
tober, after the brief strike, and in
August, Immediately preceding the
strike, the gross profits ran as high
as 1856 per ton, in some cases.
The exorbitant character of such
profits" says the commission lis evi-
QenL Wnen II Is TedllZeQ InaC THESE
wholesalers sell in carload lots with
out physically handling the coal, and
that even the gross profit allowed dur
ing the war was only 90 cents per ton
in the Eastern States"
The Trade Commission recommends
to Congress also the establishment of
more effective competition in the an
thracite industry, rather than price
regulation by the Government The
commission suggests that there has
been a control of the output of the an
thracite mines which has tended to
force up prices.
With the fullest information avail
able to the public much may be ac-
complished. Without that information
it is impossible for the public to act
intelligently when emergencies arise
in the coal industry.