Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-11-03
Attorney General Palmer Says
Same Action Will Be Taken
Against Fuel Profiteers as
Against Union Officials.
DEALERS HOPED FOR
SPECIAL PRIVILEGES
In Letter to Palmer Proposed,
: in Affect, That They Be Per-
mitted to Charge the Public
Any Sum They Wished.

Washington, Nov. "A sugges-
ton from the Wholesale Coal Trade
association of New York that the
government should not fix a maxi
mum price for coal or interfere
with the normal course of supplies
and demand during the strike
brought from Attorney General
Palmer today the vigorous asser-
ton that he would take the same
action against persons enhancing
prices as he was taking against the
union officials.
"The action of the government
was taken solely in the general pub
lie interest" Mr.. Palmer declared,
"and | shall not permit it to be used
directly or indirectly for the benefit
of the employers side of the con-
w. A. Marshall, president of, the
association, wrote Mr.. Palmer
recommending that miners who
want to work be given protection
and that coal consumers be allowed
to obtain fuel through the usual,
normal channels. He asserted with
adequate protection enough coal
would be produced to meet the
emergency, that fixing a maximum
price would curtail the operators
ability to meet abnormal produc-
ton costs caused by the strike and
discourage, their efforts to con-
tinue work, that priority lists would
oyerstock certain consumers and
allow others to 60 without, and
that the fuel control act could be
used to prevent attempts at pro-
.iteering.
Amazed at Contents.
IT am in receipt of your letter
and am amazed by its contents"
the attorney general replied.
while of coursse proper protec-
ton will be given to all miners who
are willing to continue at work. 1T
must be perfectly plain to you that
even under such conditions the sup
ply of coal must be far from nor
NAL. Your proposition shounts, in
effect, to a declaration that coal
dealers should be permitted to take
advantage of these abnormal condi-
tions and have their prices based
entirely upon the law of supply and
demand, which is only another way
of saying that, they should be per-
mitted to chatge the public whatA
ever they please. The demand for
fuel will be constantly increasing
and with the supply decreasing, un-
less there is government regulation,
prices charged to the public would
be outrageous and the profits ac-
cruing to dealers unreasonable. You
ought to be quite as willing as other
citizens to cooperate in the genera!
public welfare in this emergency,
even to the extent of sacrificing
profits, J
Protecting Public.
"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 interests
and l shall not permit to be used
directly or indirectly for the beneht
of the employers side of the con-
troversy, any advantage shall be
taken of present conditions by any
arrangement or agreement OF two
or more persons to. restrict either
production or distribution in order
to enhance the price of fuel, ! shall
without hesitation take precisely the
same action against such persons as
has been taken against the officers
of the mine workers union