Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-03-17
STATE MAY USE
SHERMAN LAW.
IN COAL FIGHT
Inquiry Now on to Determine
Legal Means to Check
Price Increase

Attorney General Schaffer eX-
poets to complete his investigation
into the matter of proceeding against
Pennsylvania coaI operators in an
effort to prevent an increase in the
cost of anthracite coal, which
operators have announced intention
to initiate May l, to-day. The At
torney General said last night that
Governor Sproul will have his find
ing in the premises not later than to-
morrow.
If it becomes necessary in order to
restrain further increases in the cost
of food, fuel and other essentials of
life, the State of Pennsylvania may
become plaintiff in suit under the
sherman act, according to intima-
ton from official sources connected
with the investigation being conduct
ed by the Attorney General to deter
mine the possibility of legally pre-
venting the increase.
Representative Leopold c. Glass,
of Philadelphia, has declared his de-
termination to resurrect q bill in
troduced by him in January, provid-
ing for the creation of a commission
to delVe into the prices of food as
well as fuel. The bill has been bur-
led in the House judiciary COM
mittee since the middle of January,
but Representative Glass asserts he
will force action on it when the Leg
islature convenes tonight.
Market Board Considered
Another development of import
ance is the official announcement
that the creation of permanent
market board of an Undetermined
membership. probably to be appoint
ed by the Governor, is being seri-
ously considered in legislative circles.
The function of the proposed board
Will be constantly to keep in touch
with conditions governing the price
of necessities and to act as a per-
manent check on profiteering in es-
sentials.
The action of Governor Sproul to
circumvent the anticipated increase
in the price of anthracite coal
prompted a meeting of the Anthra-
cite Coal Operators Association in
Bethlehem Saturday. A telegram
explaining the position of the opera
tors and outlining reasons for the
increase, which in all is to amount to
fifty cents ton, was sent the Cover
nor The message said: 4
The Anthracite Coal Operators
Association. representing the inde-
PNiAnStb Will IL IlOl Slh-
nual production of. twenty-five mill
lion tons, welcomes your suggestion
of an anthracite investigation. While
the cost investigation of Federal
authorities indicated that an in
crease of fifty cents per tons was JUS
titled by the 1918 conditions, yet
coal conditions since that time have
steadily become worse until the
maintenance of high labor and ma
terial prices with increased competi-
tion have resulted in the produc-
ton of at least 10 per cent. of our
members tonnage at a severe loss.
ALAN c. DODSON, Secretary"
Attorney General Schaffer said to-
day the contentious set forth in the
message from the operators would
not in any manner effect the inVes-
tigation his office is conducting. He
said the present INJURY would not
go outside the legal phases of the
question and had been initiated with
the object of determining the pos
sibility of restraining the increase
by legal procedure.
Silent on Combination
The Attorney General would not
commit himself as to whether the
inquiry had SO far indicated the
existence Of a combination in re-
straint of trade among the opera
tors.
The fact that they are increasing
to given standard simultaneously
might be taken to indicate the exist
ance of an understanding between
them, might it not?" he was asked.
Yes, it might be considered in
dicative, but 1 will have nothing to
say on that feature until 1 have
made my report to the Governor"
was the answer.
Members of the Philadelphia
county committee of the Single-TaX
party yesterday adopted resolutions
condemning the anticipated increase
The resolutions say, in part, "trat it
be respectfully called to the atten-
ton of the Governor that the great,
underlying cause of the coal situa-
ton is that the coal-bearing lands
of the State are almost entirely in
the hands of a very few railroad
officials, estates and private persons,
and that most of these lands in their
possession are held absolutely idle
Millians of acres of Pennsylvania's
finest coal lands have never felt the
touch of pick and shovel. Coal in
hundreds of places can be seen ac-
tually cropping from the surface of
the earth. Absolutely no attempt is
made to supply from these resources
the needs of a craving populace. The
unusued land makes possible the
clutch of oppression of the so-called
coal barons on the peoples throat"
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