Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-03-14

ing companies. The Governor said
some of the miners were on short
time due to slackening demand, and
that he was at loss to understand
the commercial or economic justi-
fication for increasing prices at this
time.
Governor Sprouts action was
prompted by the announcement of
several of the large companies that
present prices would continue until
May /, when ten cents a ton would
be added each month for five
months. One large independent COM
pany announced it would make the
increase fifteen cents ton n month.
In recent years it has been the
custom of the companies to reduce
winter prices on domestic sizes so
cents a ton on April 1 and then
raise them ten cents ton each
month for five months beginning
May l.
The Governor informed the Attor-
ney General he was prepared to
recommend that a legislative COM
mission investigate the rise in prices.
A bill was introduced in the Leg
islature early in February providing
for commission to investigate the
question of reducing the prices of
food and fuel. This bill is still in
committee. 1t is understood mine
workers oppose it for the reason
that any reduction in the price of
coal might have some effect upon
wages.
Plans for negotiating new wage
contracts in the hard and soft coal
regions next year are already under
way. The policy committee of the
United Mine Workers, representing
all the organized coal miners in the
country, will meet in Indianapolis
next Tuesday to consider conditions
in the industry. The anthracite men
are urging an equal distribution of
work among miners on short time.
The Governors letter was:
II am gravely concerned over the
published reports regarding a fur
ther increase in the cost to the con-
sumer of anthracite coal. Follow
ing an unusually mild winter when
the consumption of. coal and espec-
ally of the domestic sizes has been
much below normal, and at time
when the slackening of industry is
certainly having it's effect in the use
of steam sizes of anthracite, | am
at a loss to understand the CONNER
cial or economic justification for in
creasing the price of coal now.
understand, indeed that some of the
mines in the anthracite region are
on short time on account of the
lessening demand for coal and yet,
we are advised that some of the
principal companies have already
announced very material increase
in the price at which anthracite will
be sold to consumers.
81 am writing to inquire what
the powers of the State are in this
matter. L know there have been
Investigations of one kind or another
by committees and commissions
from different authorities and that
the first result of the recent inter-
vention of the Federal Government
in the matter was an immediate
and wholesale increase in prices,
especially to the small consumer.
Our Legislature now being in ses-
sion, it has occurred to me that if
we lack the legal machinery to make
the proper inquiries and to protect
our people against any unreasonable
profiteering in this necessity of life
here in Pennsylvania, now is the
time to establish such machinery.
If we have the power to regulate
the prices of food and other essen
tials of life for our people, have we
not some rights in the question of
to establish the fact that hard coal
Gosts are >unreasonably high?
Coming right at this time when
the efforts of patriotic people every
where are directed toward restoring
the cost of living to a normal basis
and when we are all bending every
energy to provide means of employ
ment in order to help stabilize labor
conditions in the country it would
seem to me that there would have
to be extraordinarily good reasons
to justify an increase in the cost
to our people of such a necessity to
comfortable existence as anthracite
coal.
"If it is necessary to have a Leg
islative Commission investigate the
matter. or action is required in other
lines to make the power of the State
effective in the situation, / am pre-
pared to recommend such action ,
upon the receipt of your advice as
to how best to accomplish the re-
suits we desire. l shall therefore, be
greatly obliged to you IL you will
give immediate consideration to this