Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-11-23
REFUSE TO FURNISH INFORMAL
TON TO HARDING AND IOWA
MAYORS.
PROSECUTION MAY BE
NEXT STEP BY STATE
Governor Tells Mining Men lnsorma.
ton Must Pc forthcoming or Hs
of Operators Surprise to State Off.
c;a!s-Given Until Saturday.

fusal of Iowa coal operators to furnish
chief executive of the state of Iowa or
members of the committee of mayors
rcpresentng the League Of Iowa NUM-
Cipalities Thursday as to the cost Of
coal production Governor Harding an
nounCcd that either the operators
would furnish this information or
the state would proceed to secure it if
it is in The power of the state to do
so. And the governor added that in
his Judgment the state had the power
This statement on the part OF the
governor wars made at the close of the
hearing in his Office Thursday. The
hearing was called by the governor
and the committee OF mayors to en-
Gcaver TO get al facts as to the coal
situation III the state and what can be
done to relieve the shortage as well as
to ascertain if possible whether or not
the present prices are exorbitant.
Surprise to Officials.
The attitude Of the operators in re-
fuSing to give any statement as 10 cost
Of coal production WAS considera Die OF
d surprise to the governor and the
committee. ~ the morning meeting
Attorney +. &. Perry stated the posi-
tiou OF eleven operate rs in and around
Des MONIES IN a written communication
in which the operators declared in
substance that the entire matter was in
the hands Of the fedora trade commits
sion, that the federal commission had
been furnished the information and
that they could not furnish it TO every
local party who asked for il.
In the afternoon President Smith. Of
the coal operators association refused
point blank to furnish the information
70 Governor Harding as chief executive
OF the state or 10 the committee. He
referred the governor to the federal
trade commission.
Given Until Saturday.
The meeting adjourned TO meet again
Saturday at which time the governor
expects 20 have these facts from the
operators or start legal proceedings to
secure them.
There IS a feeling that the price
fixed by the federal trade commission
Is too high declared the governor
with evident feeling when the request
Of Information from the operators was
refused. We have asked as a matter
OF courtesy that the operators furnish
US this information. want to say TO
You" continued the governor address,
ing the representative Of the operators,
that I don't propose to allow the coal
operators to hide behind the federal
trade commission on matter so vital
to the health Of the community and
the property o fthe state as the price
Of coal I think the power lies in the
state to &c this information and If it
does We are going to have It. Coal is
one Of the essential things needed TO
win this war. Our people want TO know
these facts and they have right 10
know them. These things ought to he
oCt in the open. Ny impression
from the attitude Of the operators here
today is that you are not wiling TO play
the game that way
The Operators Side.
In stating the position Of thu opera
tors ne represented Attorney T. D.
Perry. Of Des Molnes, said;
The prices have been fixed by the
government ana the coal operators
submit that federal jurisdiction should
ne recognized as supreme and that
they should not be hampercd by
sporadic efforts Of local parties"
The investigation was conducted by
Governor Harding, Mayor John Mac
VtCar, Of Des Mones, MAYOR NJ. B.
Snider OF Council Bluffs and Mayor r
H. NtcNutt, Of Muscatine. clifford
Thorne as attorney for the Iowa Lea
que Of Municipalities questioned the
witnesses.
Secretary L. F. Stanrn. Of the mine
inspectors office testified that. figuring
miners wages alone 1t cost &l.42 per
ton to produce coal a. the mines in
1916, according to figures submitted
TO the mine inspectors office. 1t was
estimated by other witnesses that the
cost this year IS around thirtyfve
cents more per ton than last.
Manager IngersOll Of the Iowa Rail
way and Light plant at Marion test
fed that his company had a contract
with an Illinois coal concern for steam
coal at So cents per ton which advanc-
ed to $40 per ton after the govern
ment fixed prices.