The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1917-05-04
COMMISSION
CALLS COAL
OPERATOR


| INDIANAPOLIS. IND, May g.
Members of the public service commits.
/ sion will go after the coal shortage In
Indiana with sharp stick. and they
are hopin gto bring about better condi-
tions by relieving the shortage. They
! have decided to hold a series of hearings
in about a dozen of the leading cities
of the state, for the purpose of ascer-
tanning as fully as possible the actual
conditions. The list of cities has not
been announced. but it is understood
that South Bend, Fort Wayne, Evans
Vile. Gary and some others will be in
cluded in the itinerary. Only one mem
Der of the commission viii be present at
each hearing. and all will report back
to the fun commission.
In this way it is the hope of the COM
mission to find out Just why coal is
scare in Indiana and price so outrage
man of the commission. says that the
commission will leave nothing undone
ito get at the bottom of the thing and
that Ii proposes - use every bit of
power or authority it possesses
Reports have reached the commission
that there is plenty of coal in the state
awaiting shipment but that railroads
refuse to furnish cars to move the coal.
In other places. it is reported. coal mine
operators are keeping mines closed in
order that the production may he kept
down. thus making for a high price.
But whatever the cause of the scarcity
and high prices. the public service com
mission says it will go after it and will
not quit until it has solved the prob
lem.
Members of the commission says that
If any railroad refuses to furnish cars
10 move coal in the state or fails to
move the coal after it is loaded the COM
mission may apply for the appointment
of receivers for such railroads. and have
the lines operated under order of the
courts. The fixed purpose of the COM
mission is announced as the relief of
the coal situation Not only must pub
lie utilities be supplied with sufficient
coal to keep them running-such. as
water, sgas. electric and similar com
panies-but coal must he supplied 10
state institutions. the manufacturing
establishments and to the private con-
sumers for their homes
Talk of secret combines between coal
mine owners and operators. railroads
and others have been rife for some time
and all of these Will be thoroughly in
vestigated by the public service com
mission. so it is said
\ suit was filed in the federal court
here yesterday afternoon by the S w
Little Coal Company of this city.
against the receiver of the Evansville &
Indianapolis railroad company asking
for an order compelling the road to
move cars of coal that are offered by
the company and that as a result the
companys mines are closed most of the
time. The complaint makes the start
ling allegation that the coal company
had to agree to sell coal TO the railroad
for its own use at a price far below the
price charged to other buyers. and that
this was done solely as inducement
for the railroad to furnish coal cars 10
the coal company.
The coal company also charges dis
crimina ton. 1t says that a large num-
her of coal cars offered to the Evans |
Vile & Indianapolis by other railroads for
loading with coal have been diverted
to other uses and for the hauling of
other kinds of freight. while the Goa
-ompeny'< mines We're compelled to lie !