Evening star., 1926-02-01
MOVES TO RELIEVE
DC. COAL. SITUATION
BLOCKED IN SENATE
Howell Resolution for Selling
at Cost at U. S. Fuel Yards
Temporarily Tabled.
DEMAND FOR COOLIDGE
INTERVENTION SET ASIDE

JOINT Congressional lnvestlgatlon
to Be Continued Today-Author-
ity for Auditors May Be Asked.
The fuel problem in Washington
became Il three cornered battle TO-
day when the Senate was asked by
senator Howell Of Nebraska to au-
thorize The United states Govern
nlent fuel yards here to supply coal
50 consumers at cost. y few minutes
LATER Senator Copeland. New York.
sought to have the Senate consider
his resolution requesting the .Presl-
dent TO take steps TO bring about I'M
mediate resumption of anthracite
,oal production. and this afternoon
the Joint congressional committee in
vestigating retail prices here will sit
FL executive session to consider ask
ing authority to employ auditors to
examine the books of Washington
coal merchants:
Senator Howelrs resolution briefly
requested immediate authorization
FOR the Federal coal yards to supply
aShington consumers with their
fuel at cost until the present anthra-
ute strike ends and prices reach
levels nearer normal levels. 1t would
automa ticaily renew such authorize
ton upon the arrival of similar fuel
emergencies Members of the Senate
District committee pointed out to
Senator Howell that an investigation
Of prices is now under way. and re-
quested him to lay the resolution on
the table for q day at least. Senator
Howell acquiesced.
Copeland Is Blocked.
senator Copeland then sought
unanimous consent to consider the
resolution requesting the President
to take steps to bring about imme-
date resumption of production from
.he anthracite mines" Senator Jones.
a member of the joint congressional
Investigating committee. objected.
and, under the rules,,the motion was
lost. Senator Copeland then moved
that Calendar No. 45, which is
resolution containing much the same
proposition, be taken up.
: Before the question could be consid-
cred, however, numerous other resolu-
tons were offered and Senator Cope
lands efforts to bring the coal con-
troversy direct to the floor of the Sem
nte were temporarily blocked.
The Joint congressional committee
which has been investigating fuel
prices in Washington and which dis
covered late Saturday that 1t could
not employ auditors to examine the
books of retail merchants because its
probe had never been authorized by
Senate resolution will hold its exec
utiYe session at o'clock this after
noon TO consider what further steps
shall be taken. 1t is believed that the
result of this meeting will be a reso-
luton in the Senate tomorrow request
ing a sufficient appropriation and au-
;hority to employ the necessary audit
OrS.
Certain Washington coal dealers
have indicated their willingness to
submit to such an audit.
Hold Probe Superfiuous.
Washington retail dealers hold that
continuance of the investigation by
the Joint congressional committee is
SlIperf1uous. While q number have in
dicated their Willingness to have their
books audited and two have definitely
told the committee that they would
welcome such a probe, it was pointed
out today that Senator Capper ordered
fhe investigation on the basis of q
statement made by Senator Reed OF
Pennsylvania tlrat Washington dealers
were charging S14.50 a ton for coal
costing about $3.50 at the mines.
This assertion has been thoroughly
discredited, it is held, on the basis of
testimony submitted both by operators
and retailers
Another thing Washington mer-
chants profess their inability to
-'ather IS the fact that ON the testi-
mony OF representatives OF the oper-
ators themselves, 1t has been proved
that the mine owners took advantage
of the anthracite strike to add from
SO TO 81 to the price of bituminous
prepared coal at the mines. 1t was
also shown that no additional expenses
enter into this advance; it simply
represents 'velvet," according to
available testimony, which the oper-
ators are pocketing because there is
greater demand for their prepared coal
than ever before.
Profit About So Per Ton.
The most extreme claim ever made
a. to the profits being taken by local
dealers Is that they have profited
20 the extent of about 81 a ton. AL
though figures do not show this to
he true, and although one dealer ad-
mitted a profit of around s1.75 a
ton without including anything for
his salary. rent for his property or
insurance in the costs. retailers argue
That if it was correct that their profit
was 50 a ton, 1t would be only one
half of the added profit the operators
have tackled to their prices without
any increase in expenses. On this
ia sis, Washington retailers are at a
loss, they say. to understand why
they, and not the bituminous opera
tors. are being investigated"
The attitude of the dealers, as ex-
pressed by Jesse c. Suter, managing
director of the Retail Coal Merchants
Board of Trade here. is that the prose
rution has proved by its own figures
that Senator Reed was entirely in err
rOr when he made his charge in the
Senate. He quoted high volatile coal
prices instead of low volatile coal
prices, it is said. Hence. assert the
Washington merchants, the original
charge has been disproved and the en-
tire proceeding from now on will
amount to about a search for some
new evidence on which to base q new
charge.
1t was pointed out today that every
time mention Is made Of the tremen-
dous strike-time profit bituminous op-
orators are making, Senator Neely ex-
plains that If the profits of the oper-
ators were taken on a yearly basis, 1t
would show a loss. Some dealers hold
that it Is unfair to compute their prof
its on the basis of the period Of the
anthracite strike and compute the
profits of the operators for a whole
year, particularly when the strike pc
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