Show COAL PROFITS INCREASED BY io Operators Arc Are Allowed cd Too 1 Much l in Middle l West est Witness Declares I OF U. U S. S OPERATION MINES l S IS SUGGESTED Americas America's Fuel Exports This Year Yea r to Be Limited ted to toWar Tar ea Vi War ar Shipments r Washington Jan Jm 7 Profits T. Profits of or many ninny middle west were I coal operators In the materially Increased cd b by coal prices fixed by bl the tho government o tho tilt Senate enate investigating tlE committee was told to today to da day by y Clifford Thorn Thome who wio said meld he hail had made an 11 exhaustive tho o study o of the situation and David tl L L. In Wing an on ex examiner ext c. c niner t ot or the the- federal trade lr commis commiss sloe sion Much of Ir the coal coul shortage now x ex- ex experienced over O the country was attributed at- at J at-J I by 11 Thorns Thorne to i ces c lve moms mente to the tho northwest the t l j t Ion tion of or operators tor 0 o hold hoW hack back for or I higher prices greatly tI ro increased consumption con con- Interference with distribution tion through h channels and an mil 1 car supply I j dl 11 II cf th the said aid can n he be I brought hlO about about- only through it hi government govern IJO ment operation of the iho Ill nixie mines c rr purchase pur- pur cha chase of or the nth a output of or tho the country conn- conn I try t If It neither t Is resorted to tI to lower i Pi prices Ices Could be made malle pO possible he lie said by b b the government Io buying the product of or small mines in which production I carts cons ts are arc hl high h I Referring to a recent announcement iby I Iby jl by the fuel administration on profits I to be e allowed for Tor new mines nines Mr Ir Thome said lIah h he dill not believe c It wise vise to tr try to Increase production b by openIng openIng open- open I In Ing Ing- n new mines mites or 01 url Working ln those thoc that have e been tHe Idle as the high lush production costs In such Buch mines would 1 tend ten only j I Ito TO Increase rea c prices to consumers 11 He Ile thought it would be e better hetter to close e eman I man many small mall mines 8 now operating ut at high cost I Trier summed Allo II 0 UI Toe Thorne Thome told the committee the public pub pub- lic He tc has lias not not had representation in in the matter of ot price inns 1 nut and that In fu general and In the Illinois field fields fieldIn I In particular prices N allowed lI O Od d were I hutch too loo high 11 UC BAlli that inti although contracts made m before fore the pi nm e e would 11 have been cen pt profitable 1 mans man op operators operators op- op Ilc declined to fill then them making deliveries i In must most ln instances only at I government o price This was done he hc I said ald despite the fact Inet that th it was step slip In iii the price fixing that that con Contracts contracts Con Con- tracts then In force should slot not he be aCt affected af- af aCI I t In In Iri the Illinois fields some operators under government O prices lOt per cent more than in 1916 when prices s w were ero considered high lie TIe also alRo declared there are wide price discrepancies In deliveries now to tor being made and as an said the government go was having delivered ered at Camp Dodge Dod Ia la 1 0 tons dually dally at a I. I 50 0 per cent higher than the Chicago Burlington ton A Quincy railroad Is paying for rot similar slim simi lar coal from the lime same surie same operator I Americas America's coal a sports exports this year willbe will willbe be t limited strictly to shipments to be e used for or war purposes and to those necessary in exchange e for commodities commod commod- commodities the United States must have ha In announcing this policy tonight Fuel Administrator Garfield declared that In Inno Inno Inno no event e would exports be p permitted to to equal In volume tt those thoe of the year ear just end ended ell l In Unit Unit- The rhe fuel administration on turned overto over O overto to the war trade board oard today tolla figures showing the amount of coal the country coun conn- tl t try y can an spare pale and asked the board to exercise supervision over o It Its distribution lion tion a abroad road The amount available a for tor export was not made public Canada will be hp excepted from the regulations and shipments to the Dominion will willbe he be left leon In the tilt hands of or the fuel admin admin- In III Ie view of the time existing coal shortage shortage short short- a age e and the great reat demand here hert America Amer mer merIca ica iea must most come first In ill supplying her industries and bondholder with coal said I Ur r. r Garfield tonight ht The now export policy means mall that Ireland will be called c upon to tn supply domestic users misers In Franco Frano and Ital Italy producers desiring to export coal to the allied countries must show how that shipments are to be used lIed for fOI war purposes purposes pur pur- poses and must give he to the war trade board hoard tIle the names In er e every every- instance of or the tho final Dual conRI consignees The arrangement I was wal worked out M today t la at nt a a- conference between fuel tt administration state department and war board officials The war hoard hoar now note In control of all exports and Import Im mm- ports port will myth use coal COl to trade with neu neU- nations particularly particular th those se In Latin America for 01 goods the United States nl needs in prosecution of or the war British coal shipments to South America America America Amer Amer- ica have ha been used for or this purpose for tor some time of export coal although a ton tOI higher r than thun dom domestic prices still nill are art lower here than the prices g obtained In other export countries I |