Evening star., 1926-01-23

as free from smaller broken particles
as possible, so that on an average no
more than IS per cent OF the quantity
received is available for sale Ut the
prevailing average selling price OF si4
per ton.
% Per Cent Sold as Slack.
This leaves the remainder OF 20
per cent to be sold as slack, upon
which the average selling price is
$3.50 per gross ton. From this we
find that the average sales realization
per gross ton on a car of this coal
in Washington runs about SllSS, or
produces an average gross margin of
S2.12 per gross ton, out of which the
dealer Is required 10 deduct all local
handling expenses, including the cost
of rescreening, carrying stock to pro
tect the public, losses on charge aC-
counts, etc, before realizing any profit.
This margin of s2.72 represents an
amount far below that allowed by the
United States Fuel Administration
during the war.
The average cost price at the
mines OF low volatile rln-of-mine
coal being sold in the District OF CO.
lumbia is about $3.50 per net ton, or
$3.50 per gross ton Of 2,24O pounds.
The average freight rate Is the same
making the average cost $3.50 per
gross ton on the tracks in Washing
ton. The prevailing selling prices on
run-of-mlne low volatile coal for do
mestic purposes runs from $3.50 to
$3.50 per ton, or an average Of IS.
This produces a gross margin of
$2.20 per gross ton.
I'VE have had TO carry an unus-
ually hard and difficult added burden
1 10, !, ,,,1
lev Of the consumers bu--ing. This
has necessitated splitting deliveries up
into such small units that the tax
upon delivery services has increased
to such an extent as to make II nee
essary for most dealers to largely in
crease their organization and faciH-
ties for handling the same volume of
coal.
Ward W. Griffith. president of the
Griffith Coal Corporation. amplified
this testimony by pointing out that
bituminous coal Of the quality referr-
ed to by Senator Nicely and Senator
Reed had never sold here for more
than S9.75 a ton, the cost price at the
mine now being $3.50 to SO q ton. 1t
was added, however, that Fairmount
coal and fuel of a similar grade would
raise complications by running foul
of the anti-smoke ordinance if used in
great quantities here.
May Revoke Ordinance.
Senator Neely observed at this point
that if the smoke ordinance precluded
wide use Of the high volatile Fair
mount coal, ii might be necessary to
revoke the ordinance for the period of
the present emergency.
Continuing, Mr.. Griffith substan.
tiated Mr.. Suffers statement that an
average car Of sized coal runs 25 per
cent slack by the time it reaches
Washington. This % per cent be-
comes slack, he said, and cannot
even be sold as run-of-themine coal.
He declared he had ordered his sales
men to devote their entire energies
to selling 800 tons Of this slack ''at
any price," and all had reported mo
market"
yet, every time I get a new load
Of prepared bituminous coal, I add
more slack to my pile of useless COAL"
he added.
Interrogated about the differences
in retail prices here Mr.. Griffith said
that is due largely to the facilities of
various companies. Freight rates TO
different companies vary, too, he said.
as some of them maintain yards off
Of the main line. The railroad COM
panies impose an additional charge
for running the cars up these short
spurs, a charge, it was declared, out
Of all proportion to the tariff for the
longer haulS from the mine to the
yards here.