River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1917-07-05
Washington Letter
(By James A. Frear, NJ. Co.

Travelling close on the heels Of the
food bill which passed the House by
q vote Of 365 to 5 several days be-
fore their meeting, a convention of
over 100 coal operators or manipu-
lators Of coal prices, held session
in Washington last week. According
to press reports the operators on
their arrival were expecting to again
put on the screws and raise prices
with another upward twist. Their
right to take such action was urged
by them before Congressional Com
mittees. At the head of the coal
operators is member of the Ma
tional Defense League who FORUM
ately made some inquiries in ad-
vance and learned that legal pro-
ceedings were about to be begun
against operators under the Sher'
man Antitrust Law, while if neces-
sary the Government was proposing
to take over the coal mines under
the new food and fuel control bill
which had passed the House and is
now pending in the Senate.
The shock to the coal operators
was startling but criminal suits were
more disturbing and after confer
ence with secretary Lane and other
Government representatives, h ey
surrendered without delay. Under
the advice Of Government officials
general readjustment and reduction
in the price Of bituminous coal was
then announced. These reductions
at the mine will reach all the way
from twenty to forty per cent &C
cording to the statements published,
and a part of this should percolate
down to the consumer. The anthra-
cite, or hard coal operators, have
not had their price fixing meeting
yet, but Government officials prom
Use that reductions will be brought
about in the hard coal business dur
ing July, some of which will reach
down into the pockets of the consul
mer. No greater surprise in market
manipulation has ever occurred than
the storm cloud which broke over
the coal operators because of the
authority conferred on the govern
ment by the new food and fuel con-
troll bill. While predictions were
general that coal prices were prepar
ing to soar among the clouds, the
operators have now had the light TO-
cused on their operations by Uncle
Sam who is prepared to carry on the
war against extortion near home as
we'll as against our service in Europe.
Predictions have been made Of saw
ing to coal consumers over $lO0, 900,
600: by reason of the new bitumi-
nous Goals and anthracite savings to
consumers will also be large in the
aggregate according to present pre-
dictions. In confirmation of h e
above statements it has been stated
that the Council of National Defense
has announced that it viii take
quick measures to prevent any Wav-
ering on the part of the operators
Two evidences of American pub
lie spirit and strong financial stand
ing of the Government are pointed
out by local government officials due
to recent happenings. Patriotism
was largely responsible for invert-
ment in the new Liberty Loan"
bonds which drew low rate of in
terest and few people realize that
over three billion dollars was subs
cribed for these bonds, or about $50
on the average for every man, wo-
man and child in the country.
Only two billion dollars will be re-
uuired to take care of the first in
stallment loan but other large loans
will follow early this fall according
to present plans Another evidence
of public spirit and patriotic enthu-
siasm. O ccurre d throughout the
country when the one hundred mill
ion dollar mark fixed by the Red
Cross was oversubscribed j n one
week. The same spirit that is pro-
viding f or American soldiers in
France, is doing much to acquaint
people with the nature of the task
that has beey undertaken, and it has
also awakened universal interest in
every war movement whether on
I0 e 1al0xx,