Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-03-14

the prices charged IN the various
places mentioned. Bangor dealers oh
tanning company coal at all times with
cut trouble made s per cent net on the
capital invested after paying all eX-
penses. \ dealer III Waterville adj
mitted his charge ran from I.25 to Sl'5
above the cost which was larger than
the usual amount charged He said
he did this because he couldn't get
ANYTHING but speculative coal and yet
he did not buy any of it. Similar testi-
momy affecting other places and show
ing disparity in the prices charged
dealers up the State by Portland
wholesalers is quoted in the report at
great length Frem facts given by
Mr.. Greedy. coal dealer IN Yarmouth,
the committee deduces that the bylaws
of the coal dealers association gave
To its members protection III tue dft-
fereht territories; practically an e%-
elusive right to sell and upon his max
ing complaint to the secretary OF the
association a letter was received from
him that the selling was made by mis-
take and it should not occur again.
Senator Hastings Testimony
The testimony of Senator Hastings
showed that six or seven years ago coal
would not be sold by the dealers in Port
land to persons in Lewiston unless they
were recognized coal dealers. The com
mittee point out that the dealers IN
Lewiston bought coal from the regular
companies at the regular prices and
later in the fall of 1912 they bought coal
at Portland and were not obliged to buy
any premium coal at any time. Speak
ing of this the report says.
1.-THE testimony shows that tortiahu
dealers would not ship coal into Lewis
ton for persons other than those in the
coal business and it is worthy of men
ton that the coal dealers. although the
price has dropped $3.50 per ton and so
stated in the hearing, continued the htsn
price of coal at $40 and SECS to the citi-
zens of Lewiston and Auburn who can
not purchase coal except through the
local dealers. In other words, 1t APP
pears that they will not sell people OF
Lewiston and Auburn coal at the re-
duced price of sl50 per ton until the coal
which was purchased at the high price
is first exhausted at. those figures On
the other hand, when the price of coal
advanced they did not sell coal at the
original price but took advantage OF
the raise of the marketable price and
required their customers to pay the IN
crease
The report says there is a coal dealers
association in the State of Maine and ii
has existed since 1902 when their first
bylaws were published and they had an
other set of bylaws published in 1896.
-gNrl,al tim a
laws of the associat ton. all of which
were published at the time of the hear
ing and which show that the association
has the power to control trade IN sec
tions of the State and to protect its
members one against another.
In speaking of the Portland situation
the report says the wholesale dealers
were unable to get enough company coal
to supply their consumers. Late IN the
fall of 1912 they purchased premium coal
which they sold at SI75 in September
and $3.50 in the fall and winter months
1t is admitted on the part of some ei
the wholesale dealers that they VIII not
shin car loads of anthracite coal or any
lots unless the person to whom 1t Is
shipped is a coal dealer having a place
OF business and capacity for storage
Portland wholesale dealers seem praed-
cally to have been alone in not being
| able to get q sufficient supply of coal.
| Conluding the report says; "fhe com
mittee has not evidence before 1t TO JUS
| tify a finding as a matter OF fact tha'
| the large dealers outside of the STATE
mining an abundance of company coal
saw fit To place a large amount of then
| coal products in the hands of brokers Il
be sold as premium coal, although a sus-
picion exists that is exactly what was
| done.
"In summing up it is proven that 4
combination of dealers of anthracite Goa
| exists in this State, that they belong tc
! the coal dealers association, that then
rules provide that coal shall not be
shipped into other territory without ar
| tangement made with them, that th'
large wholesale dealers in Portland OBJ
serve this rule and that by reason of the
combination formed in certain localities
| in the State people are obliged to pay
more than "A fair market price for coal
that with the market dropping away
! ST. so per ton, the market price In those
places did not respond for the reasoi
| that the dealers wished to- get ria OF I1'
coal at that price before they FOLLOWED
the market price.
Retailers Sharers.
"Your committee would further re-
| specially submit that the facts herein
before set forth and which appear more
| fully in the stenographie report OF thu
| evidence taken at the several hearings
and which accompanies this report
warrant the conclusion that not only
the mine owners and middle men OF
brokers, but also the retailers, have beer
! sharers in a greater or less degree II
| this increased cost of coal to the con
| sumner, No doubt the retailers share ha'
| varied with local conditions, but agree
ments and UNDERSTANDINGS, gentlemanli
or otherwise apparently have existed
which have prevented the consume
from getting the immediate benefit o
the favorable conditions as they appear
while almost invariably he has beer
made to suffer for the unfavorable one
| with a little added on to allay his deal
er's apprehension for the future. In tin
opinion of your committee the rules o
trade governing the dealings in grocerie
or other staple but necessary product