The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1903-01-29
THE COAL TRUST
w. r. Hearsts Efforts to XIII 1.-two
Prices for Coal-The Independents"
aud the Trust


Editor Independent: There is no
politics, now, in New York, except
how to get coal. Anthracite coal Is
$14 ton in New York city, yet We in
Jersey City, right across the river
from New York, are paying only $3.50
a ton; and this has been the price
since the strike.
Why is coal $3.50 in Jersey City and
$14 ton in New York city?
There are two kinds of coal in the
market, namely, five-dollar coal and
fourteen-dollar coal. The latter is
sometimes a little less and sometimes
a little more than $14. The five-dol-
lar coal is what Is mined and brought
to market by the great coal trust, a
combination of eight coal carrying
railroads. This, for short, is some
times called company coal" This
coal is $3.50 ton when it gets to the
consumer, both in New York and Jer-
sey City.
The fourteen-dollar coal Is what Is
mined by the so-called independent
operators, who own mines or operate
them under lease) and bring their
coal to market over the coal trust
railroads. The independents" cannot
get their coal to market without per-
mission of the railroads and therefore
they are subservient to the railroads.;
and there is no such thing as indepen-
dent coal.
For the purpose of showing the tone
of society in New York, | quote from
,.nI - Drno (rnr
President Baers ceremonious
threat to shut off the supply of any
coal dealer charging more than $3.50
a ton, il it were put into execution,
would make that price the ruling fig
ure all over New York city in twenty
four hours. Meanwhile, iii anticipa-
ton of the coal trusts enforcement
of that price, the few alleged indepen-
dent or insurgent dealers who are
charging their own prices would get
rid of their coal at the best figures
above $3.50 they could get. knowing
that when the coal trust commanded
the dealers on penalty of loss of their
supply to put the rate down to $3.50
they, too, would have to meet the
cut. We say alleged insurgent deal
ers, because we have not believed that
single dealer is offending the coal
trust or breaking one of it's rules in
gouging the public out of every last
dollar for the commodity which it
must have to keep from freezing to
death.
But President Baer's ostentatious
threat to discipline refractory deal
ers is only hollow mockery of coal
trust victims, as we happen to learn
from a case coming to our own
knowledge. We know a dealer whose
relations with the officers Of one OF
the five coal trust railroads are so
fortunate that through the strike and
since he has been able to buy his coal
AT THE MINE; and being thus made
immune from tax by the carrying and
distributing departments Of the ex-
tortion system, this particular deal
er's customers have had their press
ing wants supplied through the famine
for $3.50 a ton. Within the last few
days this dealer has increased his rate
day by day until it is now Si1.50 a
ton (when he has the coaD. We hap
pen to know as dead-sure fact that
this dealer makes exactly the SAME
PROFIT at $11.50 a ton that he made
at $3.50 a ton. The reason he has
had to raise the price SIS is that he
has had to pay that much more at
I mines-to the coal trust! For the
time has come when no favorites can
be played, and everybody must be
gouged alike"
Continuing the editor says:
''The coal trust lets the dealer make
the same profit month in and month
out and gathers in all the extras itself.
No dealer could get POUND of coal
if the trust put him on it's blacklist,
as President Baer pretends to threaten
to do. 1t is all SO simple that we
wonder how people can credit the
queer explanations that are being cir
culated nowadays to account for the
increasing oppression of consumers
and to relieve the coal trust of re-
sponsibility for the extortion which
is applied more and more mercilessly
as the temperature falls below the
freezing point. Rational folk will
meet all these inspired explanations
Of 'insurgent' dealers with question
addressed to themselves: Has the