Los Angeles herald., 1907-08-21
TO GO AFTER
COAL TRUST
FUEL DEALERS To BE FOUGHT
BY FREDERIcKs
GALL COMBINES MUST CO." HE
DECLARES
District Attorneys Office Preparing
Case During Recess Of Grand
Jury-Flrst Move Ex-
pected Soon =

While Deputy District Attorney Frank
Blair and his assistants are making ar
rests and carrying on a vigorous prosecu
tion in the 'ice trust investigation the
district attorneys office is busy gathering
evidence to combat another local com.
bne.
| AS soon as possible District Attorney
John D. Frederlcks will file list of in.
formations against the managers and
proprietors of coal concerns in this city
and probe the cause of the increasing
skyward trend Of prices of fuel.
For several weeks significant reports OF
the coal dealers of Los Angeles have led
the public to believe combination had
been formed which threatens to grow as
despotc as the ice combine.
At first the cause of the increase of
coal prices was alleged to be due to the
industrial strikes in the east which, in
measure, it is claimed, inconvenienced
the coal operators and shippers so that
the raise in prices became necessary.
The public good naturedly believed this
tale.
But then the matter grew worse and
about the only news in the past few
weeks with reference to the coal situa-
ton has been that the prices had in
creased, and If the increase continues
as 1t undoubtedly would would result in
an unprecedented schedule.
Citizens Aroused
Influential Angelenos called the fact
to the attention of the district attorney s
office in connection with the ice trust
prosecution.
At that time, however. the county au-
thorities were so busy with the grand
jury's investigation of it's present fight
that it could not give the matter proper
attention.
Affairs have taken another turn. The
grand jury is at present resting so that
the district attorneys office can have
time to prepare other matters for its
investigation
Captain Fredericks has taken the OPP
portunity to commence the coal trust in
vestigation, and invites all citizens who
have any knowledge of the alleged COM
bine to communicate with him. Several
interesting features of evidence have
been obtained already. giving the district
attorney moro comprehensive and incrim-
mating statements with reference to the
coal combine than was testified to in the
ice trust matter.
In speaking of his intentions yesterday
Captain Fredericks said: "Of course, the
main strength of this office is at present
being diverted in the prosecution of the
ice trust officials, but 1 am nevertheless
Systematically probing the alleged coal
combine.
Break All Combines
'This office has not had opportunity to
do much trust fighting.
'If 1t lies within the power of this Of
flee, no such thing as a trust will be
formed within the precincts of this coun-
ty, and in every case wherever an attempt
Is made to violate the Cartwright law
will meet with the utmost rigor of the
law if can in any way influence mat
ters.
Los Angeles does not want any trusts
and it shall not have them. No discrim-
nation will be made in arrests, as 1 have
said previously. AS far as the ice trust
and coal combines are concerned you may
safely state that the officials of the con-
Germs will be so badly worsted in their
present fight against the state that they
will consider themselves highly favored
If the full measure of the law is not
meted out to them. 1 expect that there
will be no vestige of a trust in this
county within the next few weeks"