The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1918-01-22
WHAT THE COAL JOBBERs HAVE
DONE

DVNA
At the meeting OF the National Coal
Jobbers' Association held at the Great
Northern Hotel In Chicago on Tues
day at noon, the big address was by
Edward J. Dubois OF the American
Coal & Coke Company OF Detroit, This
was one OF the most important adj
dresses made before this association.
Mr., Dubois started out by telling
how the Detroit jobbcrs have organ
lied TO protect their own interests. He
said that In the first place practically
all Of the coal sold In Michigan is dis
tributed through jobbing houses or
was prior to the regulation OF coal by
the Government. The jobbers came
to realize that II was the desire OF
some in Washington to wipe the job
bers out OF business and that rulings
would likely be made which would
have the effect even though that
wasn't the expressed intention Of Dr.
Garfield. The result was that the De-
troit jobbers organized to defend
themselves There were thirty-eight
jobbers In Detroit and all of them
Joined the Michigan division of the
National Coal Jobbers' Association.
They were instantly confronted by a
Situation almost inconceivably bad in
Detroit and Michigan itself. Coal was
short and no way to get 1t. The Mich
igan Fuel Administrator, who is w.
X. Prudden of Lansing, a manufac-
turer Of automobile wheels, saw how
desperate the situation was and went
down to Washington to get some re-
lief. Washington instantly promised
seven hundred cars Of coal per day
for Michigan. The fuel adminlstra-
tor and the newspapers believed the
trouble was over, because coal was
coming. Daily reports were made
that coal was on the way. However,
the situation was relieved by reports
only, as no coal came through.
After that, rule II which practical
ly put the jobbers out Of business,
was modified to allow them to get
back into business and the coal which
they had sold on contract began to
be delivered. The jobbers instantly
their association and went
to the Wayne County Detroit fuel
administrator, who is man OF fair
mind and broad vision. He instantly
availed himself of the offer of the job
bers to put their coal and their SER
vice at his disposal, with the result
that Detroit and Michigan were re-
lieved by receiving instantly $4,000
tons of coal.
Then the jobbers sent a represent
tative to Washington. They got in
touch with L. A. Snead, the fuel dis
tributor, and he started in handle the
in the same old way.
he tried to get coal for Michi-
gan by issuing orders or recommen-
dations or rulings to which NOBODY
paid any attention. These jobbers
weren't satisfied with that, saying
they wanted coal rather than Ian
guage, and got permission to go to
the yards at Russell, KY, and con-
fiscate coal which was held up there
behind a blockade due to the lake
priority order. They got something
like 10000 tons in this way and rush
ed 1t through to Detroit.
Although the jobbers saw that De-
troit needed more coal and they got
permission from DR.. Garfield to buy
a cargo of 10000 tons of coal that was
going from the lower lake ports to a
,onsignee at the head of the lakes, !
they negotiated for this cargo and
hen encountered this difficulty. All
he cargoed boats pass by Detroit and
10 not mock there. AS a matter of
'act there is no place where they
Gould dock and no way in which coal
could be unloaded from vessel. They