Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1893-04-28
A CommrndnbIe Morement.

In brief paragraph last week The Phu-
nix alluded to the finding of a committee
of the legislature of Minnesota upon the
operations of the great coal combination
which controls the coal supply of the
Northwest and North, increasing the cost
of coal to consumers in an unjustiied way.
On the Sth of the present month both
branches of the Minnesota Legislature
adopted a joint resolution asking Gov.
Nelson of that state to correspond with
the governors of all the states with refer
ence to the appointment of commissioners
confer together and formulate such reme-
dial measures as may be necessary to abate
this great evil" The conclusions of this
conference, if held, are to be submitted to
the legislatures of the respective states and
to Congress with view to having such
steps taken as are possible and proper for
the breaking up of this combination, includ-
ing the prosecution of its members. Gov.
Nelson is authorized by this resolution to
appoint ten commissioners from Mime
sofa to attend this conference. Agreeably
to this resolution GOV. Fuller has received
an official communication from Gov. Mel
son. which says:
Il have the honor to submit to you the en-
closed copy Of a Joint resolution of the egisa-
ture Of the state " Minnesota iu reference
to a proposed interstate conference touching
widespread evils resulting from the unlawful
combination or combinations whereby the owners
of coal lands. acting in conjunction with certain
railroad corporations, have put up the price Of
coal. precluding competition, monopolized the
markets. and inflicted great evils upon the con
sumers Of this article, either for domestic use or
for manufacturing purposes. These evils have
reached such proportions that no one state is
able successfully to grapple with them. and the
state of Minnesota and, may say, its whole peo-
pie, are earnestly in favor OF such a meeting Of
delegates at some central and convenient point to
consider the whole subject, and suggest remedial
to the legislatures Of the several states
and to the Congress Of the United States"
Gov. Fuller is asked to appoint ten com
missioners to attend this conference, and
the suggestion is made that it be held either
at st. Paul or at Chicago, as may be deem
ed most convenient. II full number of
ten commissioners are not appointed, Gov.
Nelson suggests that smaller number
might represent the state. He rightly saws
that such conference "will do a great
deal TO break down the gigantic coal COM
bination which is now bringing suffering
to a million firesides in our land, besides
aTousing a concerted public sentiment upon
all other trusts and rings that oppress the
people"
To what extent Gov. Fuller will feel
| authorized to take executive action we are
not yet informed, but we hope the sympa-
thy and support of Vermont may be eX-
pressed in some way. The steady and
defiant encroachments of trusts and COM
binations is the great question which next
of all will demand the attention of the
people of the country, and conference
like this would have wider effect than
merely upon the coal trust. Its main eff
feet, as we conceive, will be as an express
sion of public sentiment in regard to al
trusts and combinations, and to give the
people chance to be heard from in way
that has not yet been afforded them.