The sun., 1893-04-20

pTOpOSdl 10 IuTnlSu the library DOhIup GICp
In the city OF Minneapolis with coal at
$SS4 a ton, and the schedule price was
$685., and he was awarded the contract,
' he had adj preViRousIy R % pureRased % his % SUPPLY % Sb
solutely refused to furnish him with coal
to fill the order, or, in fact, any coal what
soeyer on the pretext that its supply was
so limited that 1t could not safely do so,
and Mr.. Norton was Obliged to procure his
coal for his legitimate business for the
space & Of about a month through the agency
later Ieinstated by some action of the
wholesalers at a monthly meeting, but only
after he had made apologies and promises
for better conduct in the future. etc, and
he again obtained a supply of coal.
The Minnesota Anthracite Coal associa-
tion the predecessor of the present bureau
of coal statistics, was an institution formed
for the same purpose, but operated upon
different plan, viz: to maintain and en-
sumer by system of fines deducted from
guaranty fund for a departure, deposited
with the chairman of the association.
E9qP committee have caused @ the ARE arrest 6 OF
mitted the attorney general of the state
portions of the testimony taken by 1t,
with view OF further prosecutions poth Tor
perjury and conspiracy under the laws OF
our state.
You are aware of the successive steps
taken by your committee, not only to secure
evidence against these conspirators, but to
retain the same after 1t had been secured.
We believe that your committee have acted
usages as construed by the best writer's on
parliamentary law and practice, and II
there were no precedents for the action OF
your committee, in view of all the circum-
stances the committee still believe that the
time has come when a new mile stone along
the path of progress should be established,
and the entire people, not only of this COM
munity, but OF the entire country, after a
careful survey of the situation as 1t con-
fronted your committee, has endorsed and
commended our action. 1t would be a
strange state of affairs III a committee
pointed to investigate, who, being aware of
the existence, and in fact were In view Of
the very evidence itself, could not seize 1t
for the purpose of inspecting 1t.
You are cogniZant of the numerous meas
ures introduced from time to time by either
the committee or its members, many of
law, measures which we believe will afford
much relief to the people.
We take this opportunity of thanking you
most cordially for the hearty manner in
which you have sustained US in our every
effort to rid our state of this most per
niciOus and outrageous combination, which
has done so much to blight the industries Of
this state and to irhpoverlsh it's people.
Your committee have had the matter of
railroad tariffs on coal in this state under
consideration, and would recommend that
the attention of the board of railroad and
warehouse commissioners be called to the
present rates. which your committee believe
are much too high, and we have been in
formed that they have not been revised for
years. We trust revision will be made
and this measure Of relief be granted the
people.
Prosecutions Recommended.
From the facts aforesaid your committee
conclude:
That the consolidation of the wholesalers
controlling this supply of coal at the head
of the great lakes, who would otherwise
be competitors, naturally and obviously re
suit in increased prices for coal in this
state;
That said combination may at its pleas
ure, if it has not already done so, advance
coal to an unreasonable and extortonate
rate;
That ever since the combinations herein
before spoken of were formed, the price OF
coal has steadily advanced and threatens
That these advances have originated in
| the wholesale branch of the business and
are not due to any natural huctuation In
| the value of the commodity, but rather the
result of the destruction of competition
| among the wholesalers and uniform rate ex-
| acted by the transportation companies who
| operate in harmony with the designs or
! these local coal baronS;
THAT such combinations are contrary to
sound public policy and are extremely dam
| gerous to the interests of the state and the
| placed in the hands and within the power
| Of d selfish, unpublic-spirited and cruel
aggregation one OF the absolute necessarles @ ares
| lamentable state of affairs # our courts
| cannot remedy this evil that is rapidly re-
| ducing our people to beggary and OF blight
| ing and bankrupting our infant industries;
That the question of fuel, in view of the
| attitude of those who control the supply
| thereof is one that requires the best
thoughts of our greatest thinkers, and a
| combination of the character herein shown
| to exist must be dealt with by those
| charged with the duty of enforcing the law
with fearless and persistent energy and nfe-
| less activity;
That the effects of. the formation Of this
| combination has been most peculiarly un-
| fortunate as it has resulted in liking an
| Internationally and extortionately hlgh
price for fuel during the past season when
! lack of employment among the poor in our
| large cities rendered its burdens oouDiy
| hard to bear.
| :. Therefore your committee report that the
attention of the governor be directed to the the
from this and other like combinations: and
| respectfully urge that the power of the
state be exerted to the utmost to the END
that they may be relieved from the grave
| dangers that threaten them, and that IL no
| adequate remedy can be had in our own
courts that these vicious and demoralizing
combinations be prosecuted under the fed
| eral law in the courts of the United States.
| Respectfully submitted,
Ignatius Donnelly,
| r. A Walsh,
! II. p. Bjorge,
| VIM. Lockwood,
p. B. Winston,
| James A. Boggs,
| Frank l.. Morse,
| Hiler III. Horton.
In consequence Of q serious illness which
prevented my attendance upon the meetings
during which time it's most Important in
| yestigations were made, l am not able to
suhscribe to the foregoing report. | concur
| In the concluding paragraph directing the
attention of the governor to the statements
set forth in the report VIM. B. Dean.