Omaha daily bee., 1903-01-10
PROBES COAL SHORTAGE
Illinois Attsrney General Summons Special
Grand Jury at Chicago.
CLAIMS CONSPIRACY TO ELEVATE PRICES
senate Committee Continues InvestI-
cation Into Lack of Fuel which
Washington Has Faced
This winter.

SPRINGFIELD. Ill, Jan. "A special
grand jury will meet in Chicago tomorrow
to investigate the alleged conspiracy be-
tween coal operators, railroads and coal
dealers to increase the price Of coal on
the Chicago market.
Attorney General Hamlin left tonight for
Chicago and will lead the investigation.
He took with him evidence which he claims
will show that a conspiracy exists.
The attorney general recently secured the
services Of competent men whom he sent
to the mines along the Chicago & Alton
road and also other coal producing regions,
and the reports which they have made con-
vinced him that the market is being con-
trolled by certain dealers and operators.
The last report made to him was received
this afternoon and contained some valuable
Information.
While the attorney general has not made
public the evidence with which he has been
furnished he claims II will show that GER
tain coal operators and dealers, some who
are interested in mines and some who are
not, entered into an agreement by which
they could control the coal market. He
did not state that any OF the railways were
interested in the alleged combination. al
though he has also investigated on this
point. Pailroad officials state that they
/ lose no time in transporting coal from the
cOal-producing regions to Chicago, but that
the delay is caused by the dealers there not
returning the empty cars in due time. This
furnished important foundation for the
inquiry, and on it several interesting state
ments have been secured
Grand Jury is Summoned.
! CHICAGO, Jan. 9.-Judge willard NJ Nc
Even tonight. on the petition Of States At
/ torney Deneen, summoned a venire OF
| twenty-five, of whom twenty three will be
/ selected for a special grand jury tomor-
I row to probe the alleged coal combine.
! Forty witnesses we're named in sub
poenaes given to the sheriff.
/ Small dealers are not the mark at which
the states attorney aims. While the
names on the list Of witnesses are with
held, it is known that they are those of
mine owners and wholesale dealers in coal
Alleges a Combination.
The states attorney in his petition for a
special jury says:
! From information brought to him the
states attorney has reason to believe that
there exists among certain owners and
operators Of coal mines and certain deal
ers in bituminous coal doing business in
legal act injurious TO the public trade, to-
] wit: To prevent competition in the sale
and delivery of such coal in the county
/ and to regulate and fix the price thereof,
and that such a combination has been
entered into and exists TO fix and limit the
amount and quantity of such products as
are mined I'm this state and also such as
I are mined and produced elsewhere and
! brought into the county for consumption,
and to regulate and fix the price thereof.
| IL Is matter of general information that
! at the present time great Quantities Of
I such products have been brought into the
county for sale and consumption. and that
the same Is sold only at eXorbitant prices.
so much beyond the cost of production ana
transportation that such owners, operators
and dealers receive unreasonable profits
and the consumers are required to pay eN-
orbttant prices, that by reason of such
combination and the withholding OF sales
Hereunder great distress and suffering pre-
vail among the poor in the community, who
! are unable to pay such prices for such
necessities, and great hardships exist
among the different lines of Industries re-
carry on their business by reason of the
pretended inability Of operators, owners
and dealers to supply the demand at the
ordinary market prices.
The order for a special grand jury fol-
lowed quickly. Judge McEwen stated that
in the opinion Of the court public justice
required such action.
Probes Coal Shortage.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 9.-The senate COM
mittee on the District of Columbia today
continued its Investigation of the coal
shortage in Washington. Joseph Crawford.
, general agent of the Pennsylvania railroad,
said that during the last year there had
been decrease in the quantity of anthra-
cite brought to Washington over his line OF
80 per cent, but during November and De-
cember there had been an increase over
the normal receipts. There had been nc
D in oh ha mil
w. 2. Zeh, a local dealer, declared it
was much easier 10 secure coal from the
independent companies han from the rail
road companies. which indicated that the
large companies were disposing Of their
coal to the smaller ones to keep the prices
up.
Send Out Much Coal.
READING, Pa, Jan. s.-The daily coal
! run on the Reading Coal company's main
line this week averaged between 500 and
]. 500 cars. II is expected that the output
Of the eompany's mines for the week will
| aggregate 100000 tons.
Coal Famine I'm Missouri.
MARSHALL, Mo-, jan "A coal famine
prevails in Marshall and the nearby towns
Slater today sent 10 this city for coal
which is scarce here. Many families are
buFhlnB tuelE Full trees anu shdue trees
Cut wood is selling for IS a cord, and such
fuel is very scarce.
r. Canada May Remove Duty.
OTTAWA. Ont, Jan. Sd. Gallery, NJ
: P. OF Montreal, conferred with Premier
: Laurer today regarding the advisability o
removing the duty on anthracite coal Sir
, WiIfrid promised to take the matter undel
consideration.