Arizona state miner., 1919-11-07
IS AGAINST
COAL ADVANCE
ATTORNEY GENERAL PALMER
SENDS STATEMENT TO THE
OPERATORS.
in INTEREST OF PUBLIC
CAN NOT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF
SHORTAGE TO RAISE
PRICE.
western Newspaper Union News Service.

western Newspaper Union News Service.
Washington, Nov. 3. - Suggestion
from the Wholesale Coal Trade Asso-
citation Of New York that the govern
ment should not fix a maximum price
for coal or interfere with the normal
course of supply and demand during
the strike brought from Attorney Gen
eral Palmer the vigorous assertion that
he would take the same action against
persons enhancing prices as was taken
against the union officers.
"The action of the government was
taken solely in the general public in
terest," Mr.. Palmer declared, "and
shall not permit it to be used directly
or indirectly for the benefit of the
employers side Of the controversy"
w. A. Marshall, president of the as
sociation, wrote Mr.. Palmer, recon-
mending that miners who want to
work be given protection and that
coal consumers be allowed to obtain
fuel through the usual normal chan
nels. He asserted that with adequate
| protection enough coal would be pro-
| duced to meet the emergency that fix
ing maximum price would curtail the
operators ability to meet abnormal
| production costs caused by the strike
and discourage their efforts to con-
| tinue work; that priority lists would
| overstock certain consumers and allow
others to go without, and that the fuel
| control act could be used to prevent at
tempts at prOfiteering.
II am in receipt of your letter and
| amazed by it's contents" the attorney
general replied
while, of course, proper protection
| will be given to all miners who are
willing to continue at work, it must be
| perfectly plain to you that even under
| such conditions the supply of coal must
be far from normal. Your proposition
| amounts, in effect, to a declaration
that coal dealers should be permitted
| to take advantage of these abnormal
| conditions and have their prices based
entirely upon the law of supply and
| demand, which is only another way Of
saying that they should be permitted to
charge the public whatever they please
"The demand for fuel will be con-
| stantly increasing, and with the sup
| ply decreasing, unless there is gov
ernment regulation, prices charged to
| the public will be outrageous and
the profits accruing to dealers uncon-
| sciOnable You ought to be quite as
willing as other citizens to cooperate
! in the general public welfare in this
emergency, even to the extent Of sac
| rificing profits.
"The action of the government in
restraining the officers of the mine
workers union from furthering the
strike order already issued was taken
| solely in the public interest and /
shall not permit it to be used directly
Or indirectly for the benefit of the
employers side of the controversy. If
any advantage shall be taken of pres
ent conditions by any arrangement or
| agreement of two or more persons to
restrict either production or diStribu-
| ton in order to enhance the price of
| fuel, I shall, without hesitation, take
| precisely the same action against such
| persons as has been taken against the
| officers of the mine workers union" :"