St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-04-14
A GRINDING COMBINE.
That Is the Net Finding Of
the Legislative Coal
Committee.
An Exhaustive Report Of the
Committees Ideas and
Findings.
It Takes No Stock in the
Story Of Age eneies for
the Mines,
And Exhorts the Governor to
Rigidiy Enforce Existing
Laws.

Laws.
There can be no msconstruction of
| the conclusions of the legislative COM
mittee that has been battling with the
coal combine the past two months.
The report was submitted to the SEN
ate yesterday, and will be spread upon
the journal, where it becomes a matter
Of record for all time. The report im-
peaches the combine in emphatic terms,
and calls upon the governor for drastic
action. 1t is the purpose of the COM
| mittee to vigorously prosecute all vio-
lators of the law save those who have
aided the committee in its inquisitorial
labors by frankly and honestly answer
ing questions propounded. Any reader
of the GLOBE who has followed the
comprehensive reports OF the sit
tings of the committee can ar
rive at pretty correct conclusions,
reasoning upon this hypothesis.
There have been obdurate witnesses
among the dealers. and there have been
witnesses with Shockingly bad men,
ores, or who could not recall, to partic-
ularize, letter that had ever been re-
ceived from "Shut-off- -his-coal Rhodes"
and there were witnesses who posed as
swered the questions:
"Why did you join?" or "Why did you
pay the S25?" or "What benefit have
you received?" with
III don't know"
"For harmony"
''To be kept posted"
These latter will be put upon the
toasting fork because of the suspicion
that obtains in the committee that they
were abettOrS of the combine. But the
maiu and principle object of the commit
tee Is to strike at the fountain head, and
tear up every VeStige, every root and
branch of the combine. This means the
organizers, "Shut-off-hiS-coa Rhodes"
and the wholesalers who deal directly
with the producers combine.
The report created no particular SEN
SatiOn when it was introduced for the
reason that it had all been anticipated.
The inquisition was not conducted be-
hind closed doors. and the GLOBE has
as they have been developed by the sue
cessive meetings of the committee.
81 am conscious that the combine, rep
resenting millions of stolen money, will
do its utmost to fruStrate the ends of
the law" said Senator Donnelly to a
GLOBE reporter; ''but am proud of the
confidence that have in the legislature
and the people-a confidence that they
will never cease prosecution until the
monstrous evil is crushed out. Other
states will follow. and l trust the eX-
ample of Minnesota will result In eX-
tinguishing every sort of combine, trust
and monopoly in the country, so that
the sovereign people will have the
benefits that must accrue from free
and open market"
The report of the committee is ap-
pended:
Here rs the Report.
Your joint committee appointed pur-
Suant to the concurrent resolution adopt
ed by the senate and house of represen-
tatives on the Goth day of January, A. ID.
1898, to inquire into the present un-
usually and unnaturally high price of
coal and as to whether an unlawful
combination exists for the purpose of
controlling the same, and to report such
remedial legislation as, in its opinion,
would be for the best interests of the
ing report:
Your committee met, pursuant to the
resolution appointing it, on the 10th
day Of February, A. d. 1898, at the cap
itol, and organized by electing Hon.
Ignatius Donnelly chairman of the joint
COMMITTEES. and it has held numerous
sittings and hearings from time to time
up to this date. The testimony taken
was reported in full, and is herewith
submitted.
1t was gathered from all branches of
the coal business. as far as was in the |
power of your committee with the linn
tied means at its disposal, and includes
transportation, jobbing, wholesaling and
retailing, and presents the evidence of
representative men in all departments |
of said business and of a large number |
of those who are directly concerned in |
the combination that your committee |
finds does exist and which gave rise to |
this inquiry.
1t shows the following state of facts,
viz:
Practically the entire supply of an |
thracite coal consumed in this state |
comes to us via what is known as the |
lakes route; that is, it is forwarded by |
rail from the mines in Pennsylvania to
either Buffalo or Cleveland, and thence
by water to the city of Duluth in this
state, or West Superior in the state of
Wisconsin, at which points the coal is
stored in large quantities in the spring
and early summer months for sale and
distribution during the subsequent
fall and winter.
The Corporations Designated.
The following-name corporations
have docks and so store and deal in coal
at wholesale at these points. and also
have yards for whOlesaling and retailing
at st. Paul and Minneapolis, and control
the entire supply of anthracite coal mar
keted in this state, viz:
The Northwestern Fuel company, the
Pioneer Fuel company. the Ohio Coal
the st. Paul e Western Coal
Coal and Iron company, the Lehigh
Valley Coal company and the Delaware,
LackaWanna 81 Western Railroad conf
panv.
All of these corporations claim to be
only agents for the Eastern owners of
the anthracite coal, and to be compen-
sated for their services by percentage
of the money received on the sales they
make; but your committee believes that
this is mere scheme or Subterfuge re-
sorted to by these corporations, acting
in collusion with the mine owners in
the East. to meet and avoid, If possible,
certain phases of this question, or
possibly to avert payment of personal
tax upon the commodity while it re-
mains in their hands with the state;
the fact remains, however, and it
is indisputable, that they exercise
all the rights of an owner over
it, and your committee is OF the opin- !