New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-06-19
FRUIT OF TRlBUNE'S FIGHT
Commissions Action Most I'M
portant Inquiry Into Goal Affair.

The Interstate Commerce Commission $
action. taken on the commissions own mi
tiative. without waiting for n complaint,
constitutes the most important of several
wcghty inquiries growing out OF the series
Of articles on the lniquities Of the anthra-
cite situation printed in The Tribune And.
IN addition. the consumer may still hope
that the Supreme Court will grant him re-
lief through its decree next fall In the
anthracite trust case.
The Department OF Justice, II will be re-
membcred, was the first TO respond TO the
demand that the consumers interest be
conserved in the profitable bargain struck
between operator and miner. That bar
gain In simple terms, provided that the
operntor should pay the miner "a per cent
more wages. or, in round numbers, $1,000
600 more year, and charge 10 Tecoup him.
self 25 cents moro a ton for domestic sizes
OF anthracite, or s15,00O.0o0 more a year.
No advocate in behalf Of the coal monop-
oily mas yet explained away the appalling
discrepancy between what the operator
was going 10 give to the miner and what
he was going to give to himself.
The Department Of Justice. In view OF
! the Anthracite trust" suit pending before
the Supreme Court. proceeded to invesu-
gate not the combination Of operators, but
tho associations OF dealers In the various
cities. notably in Philadelphia. This IN
vestiga ton is now in progress.
Then r. day or two later the Merchants
| Association OF New York fell into line. In
view OF this city's absolute dependence for
! fuel on anthracite and the ability OF the
railroads carrying II here from the mines
10 raise and lower its price at will the
Merchants Association took The Tribune S
hint that It was high time New Workers
| knew how complete a corner in coal con-
| fronted them.
The Merchants Associations inquiry is
in full swing Its committee on the coal
supply Of New York. constituted for the
purpose, has received the word to probe the
situation to the bottom, and the committee
Is composed OF fighters. Within day or
two its members have received assurances
from the anthracite railroad presidents that
the latter will place at their disposal all
statistics and data available for the pur-
| pose Of the inquiry.
| And on the heels OF the Merchants Asso-
cIation's resolution to find out who got the
money that New York paid for coal. came
| the resolution introduced by Representative
Robert Il. Difenderfer, Of Pennsylvania, In
! Congress. calling on the Secretary OF Com
mercs and Labor, through the Bureau OF
Labor, to investigate the anthracite situa-
ton and report back 70 the House. on
June the Committee on Interstate and
Foreign Commerce Of the House. acting
upon Mr. D!fenderfers motion, reported
unanimously the following resolution:
Resolved. That the secretary Of Com
| merce and Labor be, and he is hereby. di-
| rected TO obtain and report 10 the House OF
! Representatives through the Bureau OF
| Labor. full Information concerning the DIFF.
| Yerent elements of cost ana pro1t included
| in the present high price of anthracite coal.
! specifying, as far as practicable how much
and I'm what particulars the coal miners
were benefited by the recent strike agree
ment, and how much and for what reason
and by what means the cost of coal 10 the
| general consumer was at the same time
| Increased
| Now the Interstate Commerce Commission
rounds out the series by instituting an ex-
animation Of the very source Of the enorm-
Gus profits reaped by the anthracite rail-
road operators, their freight rates TO tide
water. The Tribune has insisted repeatedly
that In their freight rates on anthracite
coat the mine owners reaped their great
harvest and at the same time hid II from
the view OF the consumer. What the result
OF the Interstate Commerce Commission s
inquiry will be may be foreshadowed from
its decisions against specific anthracite
rates I'm response to individual complaints.
In almost every instance It has pronounced
these rates unfair and awarded the COM
| plalnant damages.