Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-01-16
PRINTER OF COAL
PRICE CARD FOUND
M. j. Mccullough Asserts He
Did Work for "EX-
change" Member
CONTAINED BOOST PRICES

NJ j. Mccullough proprietor OF q print
| shop at 1911 Federal street. printed the
price cards which were distributed among
| many coal dealers prior to the December 20
advance of twenty-five cents in the retail
price Of coal.
Mr. Mccullough said that the cards were
| ordered last fall by A. l. Cohn, member
OF the Coal Exchange, and Mccullough
stated that when Cohn ordered the cards
to be printed he said they were for the
! Coal Dealers Association. The intorma-
tion offered by Mccullough Is In the hands
| Of United States Attorney Francis Fisher
| Kane, and AIR Kane will place 1t at the
| disposal OF District Attorney Samuel l..
| Rutau Mccullough was questioned as fol-
lows by u representative of the EVENING
| LEDGER:
Did you print some cards with coal
prices last fall?'
Yes got out between 200 and 800 for
the Coal Dealers Association"
who ordered those cards and to whom
did you deliver them"
"To Mr., Cohn. OF the Coal Dealers As
| ISOLATION"
Have you been doing much work for
! the Coal Dealers Association
! quite a little OFT and Tho last time
printed big bunch ali together with
changes in the price by the month one
month. for example, the price would be
! S625 and on another batch Of cards the
price would be raised twenty-five cents"
| A. L. Cohn. VINO. II is alleged. left one
| of the cards in the coal office OF Frederick
Gett2, 1927 washington avenue. with the
Information that the card was from the
| Coal Excnange. was quszed as follows;
are you director of the Coal EX-
changer"
NO I am not"
Are you member OF the Coal Ex-
change"
| yes"
"Dld YOU distribute for the Coal Ex-
change cards bearing the December 20
| prices?"
81 did not"
''You had one OF the cards posted in
| your ofice?'
YES"
"where did YOU, get it?"
| "G bought my card"
"Wherc did you buy IT,
| az don't have to say"
"Dd you not visit the office OF printer
| at 1911 Federal street and have those cards
printcd?"
"I did not: don't know any printer at
that address. and certainly never patron
ICED one"
Then You are not willing to say where
you obtained the cnrd?"
NO l am not"
ANOTHER DEALER GRTLLED
Frank Mathers n coal dealer at Wash
ington avenue and Tenth street, accused OF
having left one of the cards in the Office
of Baldl Brothers 1920 washington avenue.
is director of the Coal Exchange lie
was questioned as follows regarding the
part he Is alleged to have played in the
card incident:
"Did you distribute those cards for the
| Coal Exchange, Mr.. Mathers?'
| mo, did not
For whom did you distribute them?'
| II didn't distribute any"
''But other deaders in your vicinity say
YOU left the cards in their offices last fall
They say you told them the cards were
| from the coal exchange"
81 did not distribute any cards.
'How does It happen that you have one
| of those cards in your own otilce?"
THAT is my business card-a card TO ad-
vertise my business and my prices
but there is 10 name on the card; where
| did you get t.; who printed it?'
81 refuse to answer the question where
| I got the card, for I consider that my
business have right to 60 out and buy
card II l want to-"
But how does It happen that all the
| other dealers in your vicinity have the
| same sort of card with the same prices?"
'How do I know? l suppose they have
the same privilege of going out and buying
| cards as ] have
'Then you will not tell where you got
| the card. or where II was printedg'
"No, l will not"
Don't you think It would help to clear
up matters II you did?"
mo. 1 don't"
one of the dealers In the South Philadel-
mia section, who received one OF the price
| cards, stated that II was brought to him
| by n messenger from the Coal Exchange.
| He also stated that he was given TO under.
| stand that the prices quoted on the card
were arranged by price educational COM
mittee," of which J. Ernest Richards presi-
| dent of the Newton Coal Company, was al
! legged to be chairman.
| Mr. Richards In n statement to the
| EVENING LEDGER denied with considerable
emotion that any such committee existed
| in the Coal Exchange. He stated further
| and with much excitement that he knew
of no one connected with the exchange or
anywhere else who had distributed such
| cards.
''There Is no such committee i'm the coal
| exchange as the price educational COM
| mittee, '' lie declared, 'and know nothing
| OF any such card. have talked with John
| Lloyd, president OF the Coal Exchange.
and ne says he has never heard Of any
such card.
'The prices that are enforced by this
company are calculated by It's own or
ganizaton If the retail coal dealers
today were receiving their just compen-