Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1912-11-25
HIGH COST OF LIVING.
Battles on-People or PreviIege
What I. w. Lawson Says in
Everybody's Magazine.

Writing for Everybody's Magazine.
in the December Number. Thomas
w. Lawson. on mo. l Coal Trust, =
saws:
To President Elect Wilson
The Coal Trust controls IS per
cent Of our hard coal-the kind ,he
people must have or freeze. Ii sells
so million tons annually. IL controls
the price of the peoples coal as
absolutely as the Devil does the ice
crop Of He'll
The Coal Trust, next the Steel
Trust. is the most perfected mon
ster of them ell. Every increase of
price begins ia "Verils. verify"
and ends with Praise We the Lord. =
To it Standard Oil is an ox-drawn
hearse by comparison.
Twelve years ago the peoples coal
cost them, at tide water, So per ton.
Today che Coal Trust collects $50
million dollars more tribute from the
American people than in 1900. This
$50 million dollars tribute is all
profit. The cost of producing coal
is no more now than then.
Improvements in production have
lowered producing cost more than the
amount of increase ia wages. In 1908,
fer every ton of coal mined and mar
keted, one ton and a half was wasted.
or lefe in the ground as pillars; at
the present time, for every ton Of coal
mined, only half ton is wasted OF
left as pillars.
In 1907 5000, COO tons of small
coal, formerly thrown away, was sold
from the waste banks, and $500,
600 tons of the same class, formerly
thrown away w<re mined and mar
keted, the whols at a net profit to
the Trust Of fifteen million dollars.
The recently much-heralded in
crease ia miners wages amounted to
only Sc, 440. 600, and, at the time it
was made, the Trust increased prices
20 cents per ton, $4,000, 900 addi-
tional profit,or $1,000, 600 net, that is
So, 500, 600 more than it would have
received had it not increased wages.
There you have the trust story in a
nutshell-$15, eco, 900 from small
coal, formerly unmarketable, $15,-
coo, 600 from increase to meet wages,
total $50. 100000, or, after deduct.
ing Sc, lao, 600 increase wage, S23.
$50, 600 additional net tribute.
Twelve years ago the Coal Trust
stock (Reading) sold at SS.75 per
share, or $12. AIS, 600. Since then the
Coal Trust has earned net $40, OOO,-
600, or as much each year as its en-
tire stock sold for before it perfected
the Trust. Its stock sells at SGT.
per share today.
The American people, who have so
overwhelmingly taken your word,
Mr.. President-elect. your word that
you would find a way to rescue them
from their present crushing high COST
of living, re spectfully call your at
tention to the Coal Trust, which, with
others of its kind, is rapidly pushing
the American people Hellward, more
rapidly than tariff and other evils.
Here is what the Coal Trust said to
the American people at the formation
of the Trust: 1.-The rights and i'm
terests of the laboring man will be
protected and cared for by the Chris
tian men to whom God, in His infinite
wisdom, has given the control of the
property interests of the country
to wit, the coal interests.
If the tales Of escaped He'll dwell
ers are to b. taken at par, Old Mel,
has had the above chiselled into the
sides of his self-dumping, automatic
sulphur feeders. How these Christ
ian gentlemen have protected the
rights and interests of the laboring
man, and all other men, women and
children. by allowing the railroads.
which the Trust controls, to charge
double freight for the peoples coal,
double that charged for soft coal, by
keeping production just under con.
sumption and by other devilishly con-
cocted schemes, compelling the people
to pay, through the Stock Exchange,
it's killing tribute,is set forth, togeth,
er with law which, if enacted blythe
incoming Congress, will instantly
destroy the Coal Trust and other
trusts which breed high cost living.