Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1918-01-21
POSITION OF TRADE
BOARD SET OUT IN
F FORMAL INTERVIEW
WILLIAM j. HARRIS SHOWS COAL
SHORTAGE NOT DUE TO ACTION
OF COMMISSION-PRICES FIXED
BY FUEL ADMINISTRATION.

WASHINGTON, d. c., Jan. I'll
William ]. Harris, chairman of the
federal trade commission, has given
otu the following interview, with ref
erence to the coal situation.
Last summer when the experts Of
the trade commission examined the
books of the coal operators, they
found that the profits they were MAX
ing at advanced prices were exhorbi-
tant and out of all reason, being ten
to twenty times the profit they were
making in former years. Some of the
coal operators and dealers were trying
to alarm the public so as to still
further increase the price of coal. In
o. der to prevent the public from be-
ing panic-stricken and paying SIS to
$40 ton for coal, / gave out a state
ment Of the facts to the public, and
suggested that they buy only such
coal as necessary and that when con-
sress passed the bill giving the gov
eminent control the prices would be
more reasonable Many OF the coal
operators and retailers have acted in
a most patriotic way and have not TAX
Ell advantake, but have been trying to
help. There has been very little COM
plant of dealers trying to take adj
vantage of the public in Georgia, out
side of Atlanta.
The coal miners in the Tennessee dis
trict, realizing the enormous profits
the owners were making, felt they
were not getting their full share of the
profits, and went on strike for higher
wages. The mine owners. greedy with
their exces profits and resenting gov
eminent interference, which was nee
essary to help win the awr, allowed
those striking operators tU-rvmafn out
nearly sixty days in the fall when
the mining output should have been
greatest. Some of the mine owners
were glad of the excuse To decrease the
output, because OF their resentment
against the government which had
taken over the coal situation and
stopped their outrageous profits. Some
OF the retail dealers in Atlanta who
were prevented by the government also
from making such high profits, and
who have done everything they could
t. interfere in carrying out the gov
eminent plans, have tried TO disatisfy
the public by charging them with the
shortage of coal in Atlanta, and have
resorted to every Misrepresentation
possible to place me and the govern
ment in a false position AS mem
Der of the trade comission, l have
felt it my duty in all of the investi-
cations to protect the public against
such monopolies as the coal barens.
u6 LTdu0 cOiulutSblOl has 0dQ HOlu
ing whatever to do with the handling
of the coal, or in fixing the price, ex-
cept to get through its experts the ex-
act figures on mining and furnishing
them to the fuel administration.
Mr. Harris, who is threatened with
pneumonia, contracted his Hines by
conserving fuel in the federal trade
building, he working late after the
fires in the furnaces had been banked.
He said that until this illness he had
been in daily conference with DR..
Garfield with regard to the Georgia sit
uation, which after all, had been less
acute than in many. sections. Portions
Of the white house are heatless on &C
count OF the fuel famine.