The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1905-02-18
COAL TRUST LAWYER
THREATENS MINERS
Declares Dissolution Of Trusts
Would Mean Rank Social
cialism for Nation.
Hearst's Attorney Makes Great
Speech before Interstate
Commerce Commission.

Washington, Feb. 17.-A distinct
threat by Attorney Moot Of the Erie
Railroad to the Interstate Commerce
Commission that, If it decided the
Hearst coal case gainst the trust, the
laboring man will have to pay for the
reduction in price.
The assertion that high-priced labor
is less efficient than low-priced labor,
and that better work is therefore done
In Europe.
A mental picture drawn by Mr.. Moot
of a coal miner so we'll paid that he
pockets, this being, however, due, alas,
to the infirmities of human nature.
The charge that to dissolve the coal
trust would be rank socialism,
On These Rests the Whole Case.
These were the salient points in
very exhaustive, skillful and compre-
hensive argument made yesterday be-
fore the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion in the case Of Hearst against the
coal trust by Attorney Moot, general
counsel for the Erie Railroad.
This speech is regarded as having
placed the whole case of the railroads
before the commission, and on it, in
large measure, the case of the coal
trust must stand Or fall.
Clarence J.. Shearn, the counsel for
Mr.. Hearst, concluded about noon what
had been practically three days ar
gument for the complainant. Mr..
Shearn will reply to the arguments
made by Mr.. Moot and to all argu-
ments made on behalf of the defend
ants. Mr.. Shearn began yesterday and
finished the third general subdivision
rent unreasonableness Of coal rates.
At the close of his argument, which
held the close attention of the commits
sion and attorneys, Mr.. Shearn also
drew a picture. ~,
This case,' he said, has a human
side, and that human side is the expla-
nation of why this case has been
brought
He drew a picture having for it's
background the independent operators,
who, as their only escape from the ex-
actions Of the monopoly, resorted to
the desperate remedy of building a
railroad of their own, which they had
tried three times.
He asked the commission to infer
from that background what the condi-
tions were that brought about that ne
cessity on the part of the Independent
operators.
In the foreground of the picture Mr..
Shearn placed the consumer and
showed what the. present price of coal
meant to the average Consumer Of. the
country what: lower prices would
mean to the loom, :attie factory, the
forge; what they would mean to tens
of thousands Of the poor Of the coun-
try who live in the congressional dis
trict represented by the complainant,
Mr.. Hearst; what the high price OF
coal means to those people who have
to buy coal by the bucket or basket.
I'm the middle of this picture, be-
tween this background and this fore
ground" said Mr.. shearn, Stands this
| monopoly that I have been describing
stern, confident, and buttressed by the
delays of the law and the indisposition
of the average citizen to grapple with
it.
I'm the foreground of this picture, to
complete it, should stand the magnate,
smiling and reading the news that
found expression in the newspapers Of
to-day, that the prices Of the stocks Of
the anthracite coal roads were soaring
and had reached their high water
mark, the common stock of the Read
ing, for instance, selling :over 81.
This picture" said Mr.. Shearn,
suggests the motive OF this suit. For