Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-02-17

were disposing of their product at
loss. when by the mere asking they
could add very materially to their
nroflt? All honor to these men. know
am not alone in wishing them abun-
dant prosperity. If my friend Schafer
will more carefully read wha. wrote
he will note that my yell was dl-
rected. not quite SO much against the
advanced price, but the hold up IN
short weights. and for one | do not
understand why the city council has
not given the citizens of OttumWa re-
lief in this matter. In this connection
! might be pardoned in giving the fol-
lowing: An operator remarked tne
other day. "Have you seen Old Man
Rickley's letters in the Courier on the
coal situation? The dealers in the city
of Ottumwa ought to combine ana re,
| fuse to sell the old man an ounce OF
coal." Evidently the "shoe pinched.
! I have been asked. what have you
under your hate" | replied that
Though past the meridian Of life |
still have keen interest IN the al
fairs OF life" There is one quesIion
that puzzles me. | am Informed tnaI
coal dealers in adjacent towns nave
not raised the price OF COAL ana sel
| Ottumwans have been taxed from tour
to eight cents per bushel above the
price asked last fall. Are we TO pre-,
sumo that the dealers in ADJOINING
towns are doing business at a loss?
III think not. Then why should Ottum
wa be initiated against?
If Ottumwa dealers pay more foi
their coal than dealers in other towns
is 1t not a matter for investigator
| end is Ottumwa a good place to i've
into boost? The statement made
by my friend that the mine owner
gets the increase may be true. We are
reliably informed that the miner ane
teamster don't get it. The reason CIV
en- for the increase, ! presume Is true
but what fearful commentary on ou
much boasted Christian civilization
heaping up riches by taking adVan
tage of the necessities of the people
placing almost a prohibitive tax on al
, absolute necessity Of life. Is 1t to b.
!, wondered at that we have in thi
:, great country bitter conflict betwee,
, labor and capital? want to remin'
!, my friend that there is q differenc
between food and fuel. We can by be
, / ing abstemious. cutting out the luz
, uries. cheaper the cost of living, bu
with fuel lin this latitude) 1t Is oil
: ferent. We might lessen the cost
, very little following the advice c
a my friend Fecht, but not to an appre
J cia yle extent The matter of fuel is bt
: coraing so important that oppressiv
measures by the operators or other
:. has the tendency Of fastening go
. ernmental interference. I want to con
pliment my friend Schafer and tn
y committee he names for>the stand the
n took and efforts they made for the e
Establishment of city scales. Yesterda
/ a very prominent citizen informed m
u that friend Of his had purchase
g some 300 bushels of coal. He saw or
/ of the loaded wagons. He asked TT
u driver as to the number of bushels
g had on his wagon. The answer not b
q ing satisfactory, he directed the tear
q ster to have it weighed. The disparit
K Of weight was very marked. The resu
81 was controversy between the eli
r zen and the coal man, with the ul
n mate result that the poor teamst
10 was discharged. For the sake of no
esty and square dealing give us CT
scales. or have we come to the poir
81 "The public be d-d?'
h. T. R. Buckley.