Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-10-03
COAL TRUST IS
FIRST AID To
SOCIALISM
Arrogance and Tax Dodging Of
Anthracite Operators Hastens
Public Ownership.
BY B. C. FORBES.

capital to abuse its powers Among
the most erectivs promulgators Of
Socialism in this country arc the
Coal Barons. Their defiance Of the
public knows no bounds
Recently. a small state tax was
levied upon coal the aim being TO
draw for public purposes a negligible
part Of the enormous profits made
b. the Anthracite Trust.
The Coal Barons, instead of paying
%. hare cooUp shi'ted the burden IN
consumers, toho ,oiH NOR pap the tar
several times over.
What excuse can they offer for their
high handed action
Poverty
Let's seq
George F. Baer, the Divine Right |
leader Of the Coal Barons, IL head |
Of the Reading companies. ono OF |
his coal properties Issued its annual |
report last week showing PROFITS |
or IS PER CENT The parent |
Reading Company has Just an
nounced earning Of well over 800
O0O. 900. and at least 90 per cent
earned on It's stock-the bookkeep-
ing is 80 successfully complicated /
that no two statisticians arrive at the
same figure. Yet MI Baer would not
dream OF allowing his company TO pay
any tax levied upon IT. Make the
public paw" IL his dictum. And no
has succeeded--thus FAR
None OF the other anthracite prop
critics are starving.
Delaware I,ackawana and Western
earned fully 80 per cent, It reported
not long ago Think Of it-a clear
Invisible profit OF s8S on every 500
invested in the company
Jersey Central managed TO roll up
profits OF 25 per cent, while Lehigh
Valley and Delaware and Hudson each
reported earnings OF about u per
cent.
How many Of those upon whom the
coal barons ssddled the new tax are
making money at any such rate3
Could the anthracite companies or
the average consumer Of household
coal better afford to foot the bill-R
bin intended TO he presented solely
upon the mine owners? The question
answers itself
The coal harous have overreached
the mark Overreachng usually has
disastrous results. they win learn
some DAY. Their grasping arrogant
action IS akin 10 that Of New York's
old traction looters when capital
demonstrators that It can not control
public necessity without fiagrantly
imposing upon the public then public
ownership becomes inevitable.
DO the coal barons realize that they
are working desperately to bring on
public ownership" Are they too blind
TO see tho handwriting on the wall
Do they know that the Socialists
number them among their best vote
Eet,erso or do the autoCratic. plu-
torratic gentlemen OF the Bear stamp
care a rap what their conduct breeds
30 long as the dollars pour into their
pockets ike coal from a chute
Film Tanning would seem to be
part and parcel OF the coal business
con] journal Of high standing will
this morning offer the following ad-
vice to mine owners:
j VIII be 'ust IS well. OF couroe.
rot 90 have too good a showing
made The miners are IN many
ca ses assuming a very arbitrary
position, and whether operating
under the anthracite or the hi
luminous agreement are by no
means in such tractable mood as
one might expect as a result Of an
understanding mutually agreed
upon.
Separa 1on real separation - OF /
coal mining rom railroading should /
be insisted upon uncompromislngly /
by the Federal Government. such /
steps as have been taken already by .
one or two anthracite roads have /
been purely artificial. The Pennsyl- /
vania Railroads decision to sell IT'S I
holdings in coal properties Is timely /
and portentous. other railroads can /
not hope TO juggle the issue much |
longer
Separation will prove merely q |
pre- ninary TO public ownership of /
or a-thracite coal mines unless the /
eusl -ons take their bearings /
G1r~sh al promptly adopt new at /
utzds tow I the people whom they
bsSS ~ the -oat and are stranglius /
Fhs W&nie eN. siriOr Is a E-IuCIrr