The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-03-03
Senator VardamanSays Coal
Is Controlled by Eight
Companies
RATE OF PRODUCTION
AND PRICES FIXED
Investigation Committee Is
Not Yet Ready to
Report

Washington, D. G., March 3.-Senator
Vardaman of Mississippi, chairman of
the Senate manufactures committee, to-
day inserted in the congressional record
a statement on the committees inyesti.
cation Of the anthracite coal situation,
charging that production of anthracite
coal in the United States is controlled
by eight large transportation companies
which through an almost complete mo,
nopoly were able to fix prices and de
termine the rate of production.
Chairman Yardaman explained that
the committee was unable to present its
report at this time, as not all of the
testimony taken in hearing in Washing
ton and in the Pennsylvania 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 anthracite coal question.
Testimony before the committee he as
serted. had disclosed that there is no
commodity in common use that is SO alb
solutely monopolized as the anthracite
coal production" Shortage Of anthracite
during the war and the existing high
prices for the commodity, be said, were
due almost entirely to this monopolistic
control.
Transportation corporations CONTROL
ing production in the Pennsylvania
field-the only source Of marketable an
thracite in North America--were named
in Senator Yardamann's statement as
follows:
The Reading, 1.-THE holding company
of the Philadelphia & Reading Coal &
Iron company and the Jersey Central,
which in turn owns Of the stock of the
Lehigh & Wilkes Barre company; the
Lehigh Valley, the Delaware, Lackawan-
ma and Western, the Delaware g. Hud-
son; the Lehigh Coal & Navigation Co
(whicmh owns and controls the Lehigh &
New England the Erie, and the New
York, Outario and Western"
Although controlling but - per cent
Of the actual production OF anthracite,
the statement asserted, the eight com
panies had made il impossible for indie
pendent operators to compete with them
on any fair. basis.
Notwithstanding the fact" said the
state, that the constitution Of pennsyl-
yania prohibits transportation com
pany from engaging in mining, these
| transportation companies are in this
business Of not only transporting this
coal, but Of mining It,"
Expressing the nope that Congress
might see the necessity of legislation to
protect the people of the United States
from what he described as "the greed
eupidity and ayarice of these soulless
corporations" the Mississippi senator
recommended that IF the constitution of
& Pennsylvania, which forbids the trans.
portation companies to mine coal is a
dead letter in that state" the federal
government under .he interstate COM
merce clause of the nations condition
compel to enforcement Of transportation
companies from mining corporations
The statement made the additional
recommendation that the price of coal
be fixed by the government at a rate
which would guarantee a fair return TO
the mining companies and which would
"youehsafe to the people Of America an
ample supply Of anthracite coal at a
reasonable price"
While payment OF excessive royalties
said to amount in the case of the Lo-
Gust Mountain Coal company to the
great Girard estate to SlOl a ton in
l0lS-constituted the first cause Of the
high price of coal, the statement said