Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-26
DEALERS TO REPLY
IN COAL PRICE WAR
Are Ready to Hit Back at
Operators in Hearing Re-
neWaI Today.

To correct the irresponsible state
mentS of certain members of Con-
asress," Washington coal dealers an
nounCed this morning that they would
go before the congressional fuel In
vestigatinS committee this afternoon
with statistics to disprove the claim of
hituminous operators that Whatever
proiitePTiuS exists is being done by the
retail trade
Jesse G. Suier, managing director of
the Retail Coal Merchants Board of
Trade and leading representatives of
the city's coal merchants have pre-
pared a typical list of the prices half
n dozen or more dealers have been
paying 20" their hituminous coal
These viii display wide ranges and
accepted on the basis Of the average,
II Is said Will show that the dealers
have not been charging unfair prices.
VIII Show Up Operators.
If this fails To show that present
prices are due entirely to steady
boosts at the mines, several dealers
declared that they would act sum-
lnarily and personally submit their
own figures. We are sick of treat
ing these operators with silk gloves"
the dealers declared. They threw us
fiat and we are prepared to show
where the SllOe nus.
The hearing. which was. started by
The Senate District committee and
then taken up Jointly by a House
subcommittee, will be resumed at 2:30
O'Clock this afternoon in the room of
the Senate District committee. The
testimony to be offered from many
quarters. it is predicted will force the
investigators 10 bro" den the scope of
their inquiry to include submission Of
price lists by the operators as we'll as
retailers.
Miners Represented.
Another element of interest In con-
nect!On with this herring was uncov-
cred yesterday. The United Mine
Workers Of America had two high OFF,
cials at the first hearing, prepared to
take the stand the m mute the testi-
mony touched upon labor questions
either in the blum nous or an n" cite
field. Both of these union !ieu-enants
left Washington Immediately after the
hearing 20 report to John L. Lewis,
president OF the United Mine Workers.
Labor leaders here admitted that
II the scope of the hearing is broad
ened. which now seems inevitable, II
might be the opening the United Mine
Workers have sought to bring their
fight in the anthracite field squarely
INTO the halls of Congress and force
Government intervention via q gen.
eral investigation of conditions In the
whole fue, industry. regardless OF
boundaries or Industrial limitations.
Charge Issue Befogged.
Many Washington retailers are
seeing red over what they term de-
liberate efforts OF representatives of
the operators and members OF Con-
gresS to fog the real issue of the pres
ent hearing by quoting prices for h1gh
volatile bituminous coal and miSlead-
ing the public into believing Il n to
represent the prices OF low Volatile
coal which is most widely used in
Washington because of It's compare
tive.y low smoke content. The price
of low volatile bituminous coal is ad- |
mitted by the operators to be twice
that of high volatile coal.
In the meantime, Representative
Treadway of Massa chuSetts. has an
nounced that he would present to the
Investigators today a proposal for the
licensing OF retail coal dealers in
Washington. Under his proposal, !
dealers would be obliged to report
regularly to a bureau, to be appointed
through Congress. and show statis- !
tics concerning their buying prices |
and their selling prices. If evidence :
of profiteering We're uncovered. the |
offending dealer would have his IL
cense revoked and be unable to con-
tinue doing business in Washington.
Reads Operators Figures.
Late yesterday Senator Nicely, of
West Virginia, read several messages
from operators in his State, quoting
prices and freight rates to Wash
ingto on One declared that soft coal"
is being delivered to Washington for
$40 d ton. The message said that
$500 tons of high volatile coal in
egg and nut sizes were shipped from
the Williamson field last week at
St.75 to $3.50 per net ton at the mine.
The freight rate to Washington was
declared to be s3.09 per gross ton.
Another telegram was from Beck
ley, w. Va, and said in part as fol-
lows.
we wish TO point out that while
graded sizes of our coal are now sell
ing at from s4 to SO the ungraded
mine run sizes, which represent the
large part of production, are selling
at from s. to $3.50 net ton at the
mines, and are perfectly good for do
nestle Use, as evidenced by the fact
that 81 per cent of all our coal sent to
Chicago for domestic use is mine run:
also other large cities, Cleveland, De-
troit and Washington"