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Show HOOVER WAHTS I COAL CONTROL Strong Agency to Curb Fuel Profiteers Is Desired WASHINGTON. Aug. ID Adequate Ade-quate public protection during the. fuel emergency demands a definite agency of authority. Secretary Hoover( declared in a letter to Senator Borah, Republican. Idaho, replying to one I from the senator in connection wlli profiteering In coal prices. ''Your statement as to the rise In' prices Is literally correct," Mr. Hoover i said, but added that the majority of( producing operators were maintaining maintain-ing the voluntary agreements fixing maximum fair' prices for coal at tho mlnea. "Even the $6.25 average price JTOU mention " he continued "means on. average of S lot of decent men sell-j Ing fair price coal with a minority of bootleggers selling tt up to $12." Tho situation has novr reached a point, he asserted, where there must; be more authority for the effective i COntrbl of distribution and prices. Even assuming." Mr Hoover said, "production Is now resumed, the al-J most total exhaustion of stocks, the limitations upon transportation, not only as a consequence of the strike but also with the usual fall peak In commodity movement, the necessity' to occumulate large supplies at upper, lake port3 before transportation freezes, the necessity to make a forced forc-ed drive of anthraelte Into the hands of householders, have all accumulated accumu-lated until It seems to me we must have something more than present; authority to control distribution and j to stiffen the voluntary agencies en-, gnrred in the situation. Whether price control will be necessary and how far necessary, can only be judged from day to day " |