Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-08-31

ere doing their bit when they sit at
home, knitting for the sailors and the
soldiers. We may chaff them if we
like, laugh at their tedious tasks and
chant rhymes about them, but their
quiet smiles and superior air are justi-
fed, for they know their efforts are
appreciated and they are satisfied.
CHAMPIONS OF THE POOR.
If it were not solemnly serious
problem, many phases of the coal sit
uatfon as it has developed in America
in recent weeks would inspire great
deal of amusement. Because it at
tacks pocketbooks which already have
been fattened it is slow to reach the
disabilities of the average American.
But it is worth while, perhaps, to
review some of the proceedings of the
hectic hearings which have been con-
Quoted in Chicago before Supreme
Justice Carter by the Illinois council
Of defense. If the story does not pro
woke laughter 1t may at least throw
some light on a complex situation, al
though it may also wreck the carefully
constructed pedestals upon which
some men of more or less prominence
have sought to roost.
Samuel insult, J. Ogden Armour and
Levy Mayer are the three members of
the Illinois council who instigated the
furore over coal in their state, and it
was blazoned in several Chicago news
papers that they were extending them
selves in the interests of the poor
householders who obviously had been
held up by the coal interests and COM
PEELED to pay outrageous prices for
fuel.
Mr.. insult is at the head Of practi-
cally all the public utilities companies
in and around Chicago. Mr. Armour
probably is the richest man in Illinois.
Mr.. Mayer is one among the foremost
attorneys Of Chicago, a corporation at
torney and representative of many of
the richest industrial and financial
organizations in the metropolis. 1t
would be difficult to estimate the num-
Der of tons of coal the various inter
ests represented by these three men
consume in year.
The detailed reports OF the hearings
before Justice Carter fail to show that
the retail price of coal was mentioned
during the long arguments which Mr..
Mayer presented with the assistance
Of Mr.. insult, Mr.. Armour and force
of accountants from the offices Of the
Commonwealth Edison company, Mr..
Insults biggest corporation.
ports, said to have prepared from
the books of the Commonwealth con-
Germ, to show that in the past five
years approximately 100000 tons of
screenings had been purchased at
prices ranging from IS cents to "A
cents ton. He told of contracts made
by large consumers as late as April !,
1916, at 80 cents. 90 cents and 81 a
ton. and he cited railroad contracts
which named prices ranging from
$1.10 to s1.35 ton.
Then he told Justice Carter the
actual cost of producing coal in ILL
nois and loading it on cars at the mine
mouth was s1.49 a ton.
Apparently he failed to realize that
on the basis of his own figures he was
proving that for five years both the
railroads and his clients-the big coal
consumers OF Illinois-had been buy
ing their fuel at prices ranging from
IA cents to s1.14 ton less than the
cost of production.
Obviously his figures mean that in
those five years the persons who had
been buying household coal had been
helping to pay the fuel bills Of the rail
roads and other big industries.
For the coal operators were not los
ing money in the general transaction.
They have admitted that fact openly.
They admit that they have charged
the highest prices for retail coal that
they could obtain and have taken adj
vantage Of every market condition to
Increase their profits although they
knew the gain was coming out OF the
rockets Of the retail consumer and not
out Of the Golfers Of the corporations
which are the most extensive users
of coal.
II mnst 10 understood that the big
industries use screenings because that
sort of coal can be burned to adj
vantage under huge boilers fed by auto
matte stokers. The householder can
not use the fine coal But 1t costs as
much to produce one sort as the other.
Screenings and lump coal, with all
the intermediate sizes, are obtained
from the same vein. They are raised
from the pit in the same mine car.
paid for at the same rate of miners
wage and dumped over the same
screen. One size falls from the screen
into one railroad car and another into
another car. but one Is produced by
the same operation which produces
the other. And it is only because the
coal trade has gone along for genera
! tons. unsupervised by the government.
that the consumer of one sort of coal
| is able to obtain his supply for less
| than production cost and to compel
| the consumer of the other sorts to pay
| norton of his fuel BILL
OF peculiar interest to lowans is the
| fact that next to the three Chicago
capitalists probably the most active
f, figure at the hearings was none other
than Clifford Thorne. erstwhile muck
/ raker. railroad rate expert and state
! railroad commissioner in this state.
Since his retirement from political
| office, 1t seems, Mr. Thorne has be-
| come attorney for certain big inter
ests in Chicago. And whereas he used