The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1916-11-21
SAYS BIG COAL FAMINE
Is ARTIFICIAL CREATION
Writer Says Railroads Caused IL for
Purpose of Boosting Prices.

Purpose of Boosting Prices.
tBasil NJ. Manley in Atlanta Journap
Washington, Nov. 1.-THE United
States is in the grip of a coal famine
artihcially created by the railroads
for the sole purpose of boosting
price.
Cities, towns ana villages. from
New York to Seattle, report they are
unable to obtain enough coal even to
supply their needs from day to day
h'uch less to prepare for the winters
: cold
Ihis same thing happens every
year and is just as acute and terri
/ flying to the household as the rail
roads and coal companies can make
it.
This year, favorable conditions
have made it possible to create the
appearance of a complete coal fam
inc and scare the consumer so badly
he is willing to pay any price for
coal. In New York anthricite coal is
selling for s12 ton.
The annual game of the railroads.
which own 80 per cent of the anthri-
cite coal and more than so per cent
of the bituminous coal is to create
coal shortage at the very begin
ming of the winter.
This shortage has a triple effect of
making every consumer eager to buv
coal. ready to pay any price, and
willing to accept any quality that
may be offered.
Then, when the consumer is in a
proper frame of mind, the coal is
bought into the market by the rail-
roads and sold to the eager public at
monopoly prices.
This annual robbery of rich and
poor by the railroads must be stop
pea. The department of justice, the
| interstate commerce commission and
the federal trade commission have all
the powed necessary, if they choose
| to exercise it,
This fraud on the American peopIe
IL made possible chiefly by the rail
road ownership of the coal mines.
This ownership was prohibited by the
commodities clause" of the inter
! state commerce act. which forbids
railroads to own an interest in the
production of any commodity which
they transport. This illegal owner
ship Of coal mines and other com
modities is continued only through
the palpable subterfuge of dummy
which, in fact, are subsidiaries OF the
railroads.
1t is true this evasion of the law
has been sanctioned by decision of
the United States supreme court.
But there is every reason to believe
the court will reverse it's indenfens,-
BILE decision II the issue is again pre-
sented with strong demand behino
lit.
| Since that decision was rendered
two liberal justices who certainly
will not stand for the decision
Brandies and Clarke--have been ad-
ded to the court.
Moreover, the court has heard the
rumbling OF discomfort and has seen
the commerce court destroyed be-
cause of its betrayal of the people
for the benefit of the railroads.
| The supreme court reversed its
legal tender decision. its income tax
decisions, its sherman act decisions,
, and will reverse it's commodities
clause decision if the American peo-
pie demand it.
The railroad companies, by con
verting hundreds Of coal cars for the
transportation of munitions and 9TH
er industrial exports, are discriminat-
ing against the consumers Of coal.
The Interstate commerce commits
sion has power to stop that discrim-
ination.
The federal trade commission has
powers broad enough to call a per-
emptory halt on the entire hold-up
game. Up to the present time the
trade commission has been dilly-
dallying with cost accounting sys-
tens.