The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-03-03

complete monopoly. were able to fix
prices and determine the rate of pro-
duction. Chairman Fardaman ex-
planned that the committee was unable
to present its report at this time, as
not all of the testimony taken at hear
ings in Washington and in the Penn
sylvania coal fields had been printed
He added. however. that he had
gathered together certain facts which
he trusted would be of help to the
next congress in dealing with the an
thraeite coal question. Testimony
before the committee he asserted in
his statement. had disclosed in his
opinion that there is no commodity in
common use that is SO absolutely mo-
nopolized as the anthracite coal pro-
duction-"
Shortage of anthracite during the
war and the existing high prices for
the commodity. he said. were due al
most entirely to this monopol,Stic con-
troll
Names the Roads.
Transportation corporations con-
trolling production in the PennsyI-
vania fields-the only source of mar
ketable anthracite in North America
were named in Senator Vardaman's
statement as follows:
The Reading 1.-THE holding COM
pany of the Philadelphia & Reading
Coal & Iron company and the Jer-
SCg 1CillEdlr EElCn III turn owns all
or the stock of the Lehigh & Wilkes
barre company. the Lehigh Valley, the
Delaware. Lackawanua & Western
the Delaware & Hudson; the Lehigh
Coal & Navigation company (Which
owns and controls the Lehfgh & New
England): Erie and New York. Ontorio
& Western" AItho controlling but
Y per cent of the actual production
of anthracite. the statement asserted
the eight companies had made it i'm
possible for independent operators to
compete with them on any fair ba-
Sis
Companies Mine Coal.
''Notwithstan ding the fact" said the
statement. that the constitution of
Pennsylvania prohibits a transporta-
ton company from engaging in min
ing these transportation companies
are in this business Of not only trans
porting this coal. but of mining it,
Expressing the hope that congress
might see the necessity of legislation
to protect the people of the United
States from what he described as the
great cuptdIty and avarice of these
soulless corporations" the Mississippi
senator recommended that IF the
constitution of PENNSYLVANIA which
forbids the transportation companies
to mine coal is a dead letter in that
state" the federal government under
the interstate commerce clause Of the
nations constitution compel the di-
vorcement of transportation COM
panies from mining corporations. The
statement made the additional recon-
mendation that the price of coal be
fixed by the government at a rate
which would guarantee q fair return
to the mining companies and which
would ''vouchsafe to the people OF
America an ample su. ply of anthra-
cite coal at a reasonable price"
Roads Eliminated Competition.
While payment of excessive royal
ties said to amount IN the case of the
Locust Mountain Coal company to the
great Girard estate to S1.0S a ton in
1g1S-constituted the first cause OF
the high price OF coal. the statemen;
said that was mot the full story
The other causes given were the
means alleged to have been used by
the eight large companies to eIimi-
nate the competition Of the indepen-