The Forrest City times., 1903-01-02
MISERY FROM COAL TRUST.
The People Are !. 's:ssS sG1iest the
Rspacfty Of the PamPered
CGaI HaraE--

The rapaeirv aal greed ~ the eoaI
bar0ns = getting almost beyond en-
dzrauce The bf-umfuous cual com
bine j. equally a. guilty a. the an
thracite trust. for ID has adsanced
prices ia about the same proportion.
The coke combine has aI-o increased
prices on . par with IL brother rep
rebates TIE pretense ! beng made
by the hard coal trust that il has
hard and fast price of SIS a ton a
+ the mines. 10 which i added the rail
road freight rate. ranging from
SIS to New York. two dollars TO
F Washington. d. e. and whatever he
tariff viii bear To other points.
which varies according 70 the eompe-
f tition Of river and lake tran<pDrta-
ticn. I a these charges s. added si-5o
allowed the retailer for carriage and
profit. The agents Of The c0al trust
are. they say Obliged = agree not
TO charge above the prices given. that
j. on the basis of So - Srx York
SIS at Washington. y. e.. ard at
other points according 10 tie in
creased raiIroa5 chase-s The facts.
however. do not sabstaet5ate this
scale - price. fsr when TIE
+ harassed hoHseao der put. n lis or
der for coal - the agents Il the
trust. he is informed that his order
viii b. booked bat delivery cannot
be promised. Compelled 10 find
coal that viii be delivered immediate-
IS. the buyer finds that the in6epend-
eut dealers have hard coal on hand.
but the price ranges from nine dol
lars 10 So 80. The natural con
clusion 70 arriT< at i that the trust
Is selling. at a large advance in price.
to the independent deale"s. instead
of supplying its own agents al The
advertised rates
The rich and well 10 de are. OF
course. able to obtain coal. but the
largely increased cost To the poor
vastly augmented By the profits Of
the small dealers. Is 50 serious that
great deStitution and sufferings j. re
ported in the large cities. In New
York alone ii i reported that j.ooo
families are unable to buy fuel. and
+ the corporation Of Greater New
FORK has appropriated 100000 to
purchase coal TO b. given to such
destitute persons.
There IS no doubt that the misery
and suffering on account of the high
price of coal viii lead to a great in
crease Of sickness and consequent
great loss Of life from pulmonary
and other kindred diseases.
The criminal section of the anti
trust law covers just such 4 restraint
Of trade and monopoly as the coal
trust + imposing upon the American
people. The administration q that
law i in the hands Of he attorney
general If the United States. and in
each state the United States district
attorneys can enforce tie law n the
federal courts. Thus the whole ma
chinery for bringing the coal monop-
ciists TO the bar # justice can be put
in motion by the eepu5liean admins
tratien. One word from President
Roosevelt would compel his attorney
general TO act. ~ he does nothing
10 curb the monopoly, il would seem
certain that he does not want any
action taken. or. for political rea-
sons. does not wish the extortion Of
the trust stopped.
The criminal statute would allow
the arrest OF the coal barrons and
mon conviction, of being parties to
any restraint Of trade or Of having
formed a combination to control
prices. they could be imprisoned for
one year. \ coal baron IN jail would
soon bring him and his brother rob
hers to terms and the price of coal
would soon tumble.