The Bennington Evening Banner

COAL OUTPUT NOT TO BE INCREASED

Charges Are Made That Corporations Which Control Anthracite Fields Are Keeping Down Production.

Washington, Nov. 26.—Charges that corporations which control the anthracite fields decline to permit the output to be increased, were made before the Senate investigating committee today by William Wilhelm, a lawyer of Pottsville, Pa. He also charged that no effort has been made by the fuel administration to increase production.

Mr. Wilhelm told the committee that the owners of anthracite property had been responsible for the failure of New York city officials to obtain a supply of culm to meet the fuel shortage in New York, while Dr. Jonathan C. Day, commissioner of public markets of New York, another witness today said that the fuel administration had refused to give its approval for a municipal coal yard in New York by which Mayor Hylan and other officials hoped to increase the coal supply and keep prices down. The fuel administration's objection, Dr. Day said, was based on the statement that such a plan would interfere with the administration's distribution plans.

The committee was told by Mr. Wilhelm that there are mines near Pottsville which could yield a large supply of coal, but he said the leading company, the owners, will not permit them to be worked, because it wants to keep production down. He said he has written many letters to Washington urging that steps be taken to increase anthracite production but the only replies he received were that his letters had been referred to Fuel Administrator Garfield.

Discussing the situation in New York, Dr. Day said the plan of the city authorities there to establish a municipal coal yard would have saved the people of that city $3,000,000 in their coal bills. He said that a plan to obtain a supply of culm for New York through the fuel administrator of Lackawanna county, Pennsylvania, had been disapproved by the fuel administrator and testified that coal peddlers in New York last winter frequently sold coal at a price equal to $40 a ton to the poor, who purchased it in 100-pound lots. Replying to a question from Senator Kenyon, Dr. Day expressed the belief that the fuel administration desired to keep the profits of the coal dealers up.

Dr. Day, when asked by a representative of the fuel administration who attended, whether he knew that more anthracite has been shipped to New York for this winter's consumption than ever before, replied that the reports showing the shipments indicate that, but that the reports of coal stored in New York show there is a shortage.