The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1893-04-20
ASKED TO PROSECUTE.
COAL COMBINE COMMITTEE
MAKE THEIR REPORTS.

n
The Facts Developed by the lnves-
ugation Are set Forth--A
Strong Arraignment Of
the Wholesale Coal
Mr.. Walsh, of the coal combine in
vestigating committee, presented the Iol-
lowing report in the house:
To the Senate and House Of Representa-,
< lives: Your joint committee, appointed
pursuant to the concurrent resolution ADOPT
4 tives1 on the 18th day Of January, A. p.
1893, to inquire into the present unusually
and unnaturally high price OF coal and as
to whether an unlawful combination , ea-
and to report such remedial legislation as
In it's opinion, would be for the best est, IN n
terests of the public, respectfully SUBMITS
the following report: ~,
Your committee met. pursuant, TO to the
Of February VA A: D. 1888, at the capitol,
and organized by electing Hon. lgnatlus
Donnel!y chairman Of the Joint co ond haee
ings from time to time up to TINS ). da ave;
The testimony taken was reported IN ioii
ana is herewith gs3bersd from all branches of
the coal business, as far as was III me
power of your. committee with the hm ,s
portation, jobbing wholesaling and retail retail
Ing, and presents the evidence OF ~ re pre-
sentative in all Of or th sas
who are directly concerned in the conDlna.
4 ton that your committee find does exist
SHOWS sPe v the STATE ts aeta WY
The Facts in the Case.
p Practically the entire supply of anthra-
us via what is known as the lake route,
that is, it is forwarded by rail from the
Cleveland ,es M and thence by water to the city
Of Duluth in this state, OF West Superior
J. In the State of Wisconsin, at which points nj
the coal is stored in large quantities in the
q spring and early summer months for sale
and distribution during the subsequent fall
The following named corporations have
docks and so store and deal in coal at
wholesale at these points, and also haLye
PauI and M Mhesi and contro the en-:
tire supply of anthracite coal marketed IN
The Northwestern Fuel company the Pho
neer Fuel company, the Ohio Coal company,
the st. Paul 4 Western Coal company the
pany. t the Leigh e1 valley Coal Company and
the Delaware Lackawanna &, Western Rail
All of these corporations claim to be only
agents for the Eastern owners Of the an
thracite coal, and to be compensated for
received on the. sales they make; but your
committee believe that this is mere
scheme Or subterfuge resorted to by ~ these eSe
mine owners in the East, to meet and avoid
If possible, certain phases of this question
tax upon the commodity while it remains in
their hands with the state; the fact remains
however, and it is indisputable, that they
and your committee are of the opinion, after
carefully considering the matter, that they
do in fact 20 it after it is
claim to the contrary. Your committee are
satisfied that the managing agents Of al
Others ike Interested in New YORK city il
n sort of common convention from which
point the DEGREES of the great national , Goa
conceded by the principal managers Of thes
companies to your committee
Starting from this home, or seat. of TIT
great owners Of coal properties, the ser
pentine coils Of this colossal and hydra
headed combination embrace the entire coal
consuming portion Of these United States
and the black cloud Of disaster and extor
ton spreads over the entire country by tn
vast ramitications of this conspiracy, bring
Ing distress to every manufacturing indus
try and every freside in our land. and il
indeed one Of the gravest dangers that nov
Prior to the year 1887. as far as you
committee have been able to learn, no ef
shippers Or wholesalers in this Northwest
ern country and the trade was fairly di
vided between them and none controlled a
excessive share of the business; but eac
year since said last named date, the comps
MES that then did business in this sectio
and the few that have since come into thi
price at which anthracite coal should b
sold within this state at wholesale, but a
retail as well: and to more effectually pre-
p, vent competition have limited and arbitra1
ily fixed the amount of coal that should b
brought to the head Of the lakes; and $
been accomplished that on the last days c
March and April Of each year there scarcel
remains remain "a ton OF coal upon the docks
The uniform price at wholesale for anti
rac ci coal land our inquiry has been alrnos
past season has been 500 per ton on Boar
the cars at Duluth and West superio
the local wholesalers before named insi.
that it IS thus determined and fixed by til
committee doubts this, but be this as ~
may, in any event it is much too high, an
from the evidence at hand we have COZ
the cars at Duluth or West Superior Dr. s beS1
never exceed IS per ton; especially in vie
gro the pf faet that the cost Of transporrao
less than 80 cents per ton during the pa
ssond be tR Resy fs that the
price in Buffalo and that in Duluth.
Where Responsibility Rests.
The Northwestern Fuel company, the lar
est and strongest Of our local corporation
Is. in the opinion Of your committee, in
the. combination that now exists. and ID
perfect and close has this Northwestel
b French Of ba this great conspra
difficulty in. the way Of it's advancing Il
price Of coal to any point short Of the lin
to. which the consumer might go befo
being forced to substitute other kinds
fuel. The baleful results Of the combinati,
among the shippers wholesalers is fe
among the retailers, and works fully
great a hardship on them as it does upt
the people, as all the wholesalers have I
tail Offices either in Duluth or West s
periOr and in ST. Paul and Minneapolj
and have evinced a disposition, which tn
do not attempt to conceal. to deal direct
with the consumer and therefore entire
eliminate the retailer. or middleman al
save to themselves the small profits tn
now go to maintain the retailers in the
business. and the unfortunate and helple
retailer being conscious of this disposfti,
on the part Of the lordly autocrats who co
troll the supply of the commodity in viii
he deals, is therefore easily coerced in
the most humiliating submissions to the OF
rageous schemes OF the wholesaler at who
mercy, not only he is, but the people
81 well. ,-.- ,-..s 80. .--.s =,