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Show Clifford Thome Reviews Situation Situ-ation Government Agency Should Fix Prices. WASHINGTON, July ' 3. Clifford Thorne. representing the Iowa league of municipalities, told the senate interstate in-terstate commerce committee today that if tentative coal prices arranged last week between the operators and the council of national defense became permanent they would cost consumers $700,000,000 over last year's soft coal bill. Should the tentative prices be made permanent, he said, prices which operators oper-ators in the Indiana field have been receiving re-ceiving in the last six months would be Increased over 50 per cent. Mr. Thorne declared the tentative coal prices are from 50 to 100 per cent greater than voluntary contracts entered into within the last three months between operators and railroads rail-roads for the ensuing year. "We are protecting against even a tentative price -fixing agreement," said Mr. Thorne. He wanted prices fixed by a government agency. |