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COAL PRICES FIXED ie 

 M BUT NOT REDUCED 



Last week's widely advertised fixing of coal prices, by mine operators in 

 conference with the government, sets figures at exactly what responsible florists 

 have been paying on contracts made since April 1. But it may mean a saving to 

 many small buyers by informing them as to coal dealers' costs. 



PEEATOES of bituminous 

 coal mines, in conference 

 with Secretary of the In- 

 terior Lane, the Federal 

 ^ K & Trade Commission and the 

 ^-^Jl ( committee on coal produc- 

 tion of the Council of Na- 

 tional Defense, June 28 

 tentatively agreed upon 

 maximum prices to be 

 cliarged for the output of the mines. 

 The price scale became effective July 

 1 and will continue until such time 

 as the government commissions have 

 investigated conditions with a view 

 to fixing tlie maximum charge during 

 the period of the war. Anthracite coal 

 mine operators made a similar agree- 

 ment. 



Tlie result of the conference, in whicli 

 representatives of practically every mine 

 operator east of the Mississippi river 

 took part, was hailed by the daily news- 

 papers as meaning a reduction of from 

 $1 to $.j per ton in the price of coal to 

 the consumer. 



Wliat It Means to Growers. 



This may be true in regard to the 

 domestic consumer, but what effect will 

 the action liave upon tlie i)rice to flo- 

 rists? 



For the large grow- 

 er, who contracts for 

 his fuel supjdy, tlie 

 agreement will have 

 practically no ef- 

 fect. 



For the small grow- 

 er, who buys in the 

 open market as liis 

 needs recpiire, the 

 agreement will proba- 

 bly mean lower prices 

 than would otherwise 

 have been demanded 

 but for the fixing of 

 maximum prices. 



CJrowors who use 

 large quantities of fuel 

 already liave contract- 

 ed for their next sea- 

 son's su[)ply; and, it 

 develops, the contract 

 price is the same as the 

 maximum price now 

 agreed on by the opera- 

 tors and the govern- 

 ment — it is no reduc- 

 • tion at all. However, 

 the fixjing of maximum 

 prices will remove the 



PRICES AT THE MINE. 



Fixed by the Operators. 



BITUMINOUS. 



Per Ton 



Illinois and Indiana $ i . 75 



Clearfield, Pa 3.00 



Virginia 3.00 



West Virginia 8 ro 



Alabama JVCO @ 4. CO 



Mar>land 3.00 m 3.50 



These prices arc for niin<» run. The 

 lump ciial prices arc 50 cents per 

 ton higher, with the exception of 

 Illinois coal, which will be 75 cents 

 per ton lilglier. 



ANTHRACITE. 

 To be announced later. 



prices would have had upon some deal- 

 ers to default upon their contracts 

 and sell their supply in the open mar- 

 ket. 



Maximum prices are expected to do 

 away with ' ' premiums. ' ' That is, the 

 bonuses that some mine operators have 

 been receiving for their output when 

 the demand was greater than the supply. 

 "Premiums" in some cases have 

 boosted the price to almost double the 

 recognized mine mouth price. And the 

 extra cost has, of course, been paid by 



the consumer who had not contracted 

 for his supply and who bought in the 

 open market. 



There also was an attempt made by 

 the operators to fix the middlemen's 

 ])rofit at 25 cents per ton, no matter 

 how many liands the coal pass-ed 

 tlirough before it reached tlie consumer. 

 How great effect their action will have 

 upon tlie wholesalers and retailers is a 

 question. But it will serve to put the 

 onus of high prices upon someone other 

 than the mine operator, who heretofore 

 has been generally blamed. 



Maximum mine mouth prices on coal 

 produced in the various bituminous 

 fields are as follows: 



Illinois and Indiana, $2.7.1; Clearfield, 

 Pa., $.3; Tennessee, .$3; Virginia, $3; 

 West Virginia, $3; Alabama, $3 to $4; 

 Maryland, $3 to $:i.')0. Added to these 

 j)rices the consumer will be required to 

 ])ay transportation cliarges, the freight 

 from the mines and the liauling cost, 

 ])lus the middlemen's profit. 



Prices Double in a Year 



These prices are at least double what 

 was asked one year ago; ])ut they are 

 lower than has Ijceii obtained in many 

 instances since January 1. There is the 

 consolation, liowever, that the grower 

 will know exactly 

 what he will be re- 

 (piired to pay for his 

 fuel sui)])ly so long as 

 the war lasts. 



Mine operators in 

 the West Virginia 

 fields, from wliich come 

 Pocahontas and New 

 Eiver semi-bituminous, 

 or "smokeless," coal, 

 had already fixed the 

 jirice of their outj)ut 

 at $'■', ])er ton between 

 Ajiril 1 and August 1, 

 with an advance of 2.j 

 cents jier ton on con- 

 tracts made after the 

 latter date. Many 

 growers who hahitii- 

 ally contract for their 

 fuel su])])lies made con- 

 tr.'icts at tlie lower fig- 

 ure. Others believed 

 that the jirice was ex- 

 orbitant and that by 

 waiting a lower 

 figure could be ob- 

 tained. The latter 

 now will have the 



temptation larger 



Holding Coal on Sidetracks Will Not be Neces ary— Prices are Fixed. 



satisfaction of know- 



