The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1917-09-29
TIL MYSTERY OF COAL
WHAT Will cow OF III

49, 80 49,
little II any more satisfactory thar
before the government undertook n
deal with IT, So far as the average
consumer Is concerned. II is apparent
Iy less satisfactory; for. with the ap-
proach Of winter. be Is forced into
the acceptance Of conditions which
he Federal authority promised 10
correct, but thus far has not cor
rected Regardless Of the fixed price
at the mines. regardless Of the Sher-
man law f~orbidding combinations in
restraint Of trade. the consumer seems
to be utterly at the mercy Of mine
operators and coal dealers associa-
tions. This is an assertion that may
be put to the test BY anybody, in a
small or a large way.
Let an inquiry go out from the cen
ter Of almost any community or dis
trict. regarding the price Of a ton Of
coal, delivered, and, whether response
come from a dozen or from a 0 Of
handlers Of this essential public com
modify. they will be practically uni
form. The responses. like the rates,
are evidently association-made; and
both indicate the existence. despite the
fact that the Sherman law remains a
statute, and despite the enactment OF
the Food and Fuel Control Bill, Of a
certain sort OF commercial eombinia
ton.
While the Food Control Bill was
pending, and when the fire OF crit
cism was directed from al quarters
against the mine operators scm1 Of
the latter gave out for publication the
scale of prices which they were
charging for coal at the mine. and
asked If these prices wef' not re&-
gonable. II had to be generally az
mitted that they we're. Compared
with the prices asked by retailers
they were maryelousiy 30. On tn
strength OF the operators announce
ment, a group of people in a Middle
Western state organized a pool for the
purchase of a trainload OF coal at tie
mine, sent in their order. accompanied
by certified checks, to one of the big
mining concerns. guaranteed freight
charges-took, in fact, every precau
ton to insure the prompt delivery OF
the fuel-and was informed by the
mining concern that il could sell coal
only through the usual channels
Selling coal through the usual chan
nels" meant, Of course, selling it with
regard to the profits OF the coal-carry-
ing railroads. the profits OF the jobber,
the wholesaler. the broker, the re-
taller; with regard, in short, TO the
profits OF the usual string Of middle
men. TOO often parasites on legitimate
trade.
This occurred while the Food Con-
troll Bill was pending. Information
has now been received, at first hand.
from the director of the Georgia Blu
reau OF Markets. Lem b.. Jackson, go
ing to show hat neither the enact
ment OF the price-hxing law. the Pres
ident's price-hxing proclamation, nor
the statement of Mr.. Hoover appear
tanning thereto. has affected basic
conditions in the least. The evidence
gathered by Mr.. Jackson includes data
to the effect that an Atlanta coal buyer
applied to the agents Of coal mines
that furnish the South with its coal
supply, for several thousand tons OF
coal at the price set by the President
He asked for either the number OF
tons he required, or any fraction
thereof. at the Presidents price.
"The mine agents laughed at him.
testifes the informant in the case.
1--WE have no coal to SELL they told
the would-be purchaser. Our books
are dlled with standing orders, and we
a contract to furnish no more coal
at any price,"
To this, which must sound almost
humorously familiar to people in the
Eastern, New England. Western and
Northwestern states. Mr.. Jackson
adds:
There could have been no motive
for the refusal OF his particular order
other than that of standing orders,
ascribed by the coal miners agents.
ThA HaaIar uvao IN rnn.,foLIo $3.50, a-Z