New Britain herald., 1919-03-03
CHARGES MONOPOLY
 ON OUTPUT OF COAL
yardaman Says Eight Companies Fix Price and Production
CAUSE OF HIGH PRICES

Statements Of Investigation Commit tee Will Be Of Value to Next Con- gross in Dealing With Hard Coal Question.
 Washington, March 3-Senator Eardaman of Mississippi, chairman of the senate manufactures committee, today inserted in the congressional record a statement on the commit Hee's investigation of the anthracite coal situation, charging that produc- tion of anthracite coal in the United States is controlled by eight large transportation companies, when through an almost complete monop- oly were able to fix prices. and deter mine the rate of production.
 Chairman Vardaman explained that the committee was unable to present it's report at this time, as not all of the testimony taken in hearings ill WaShin gton and in the Pennsylvania coal fields had been printed. He add ed, however, that he had ''gathered together certain facts which he trust cd would be of help to the next con- gross in dealing with the anthracite coal question.
 High Price Due to Monopoly.
 Testimony before the committee, he asserted, had disclosed that there is no mmodity in common use that is so absolutely monopolized as the an thracite coal production.' Shortage of anthracite during the war and the existing high prices for the comm od- ity, he said, were due almost entirely to this monopolistic control.
 Transportation corporations con- Trolling production in the Pennsyl- vania field-the only source of mark etabIe anthracite in North America were named in Senator Vardaman's s statement as follows:
 Coal Barons Named.
 "The Reading, (the holding com pany of the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron O., and the Jersey Central, which in turn owns all of the stock of the Lehigh and Wilkes Barre Co.) the Lehigh Valley, the Delaware, Lacllawanna and Western; the Delaware and Hudson: the Lchigll Coal & Navigation Co.,, (which owns and controls Lehigh and New Eng lard) the Erie, and the gN.e1Ns., Y ork, Ontario and Western.'
 Although controlling but - per rent. of the actual production of an ,thra cite the statemcnt asserted the eight companies had made it impOs- sible for independent operators to compete with them on any fair basis.
 Notwithstanding the fact said the staten ent, that the constitution Of Pennsylvania prohibits sL transpor- tation company from engaging in mining these transportation com- panies are in this business of not only } transporting this coal but of minin g It."
 Urges Protective Legislation.
 Expressing the hope that cons gress might see the necessity of legislation to protect the people of the United States from what he described as the greed cupidity and avarice of these EouIless corporations, the Mississip Di senator recommending "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 na- tons constitution compel the divorce ment 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 re- turn to the mining companies and which would "vouchsafe to the people Of America an ample supply of an- tfra cite coal at a, req asonable price v Small Dealers Crushed
 While payment of excessive royal ties-said to amount in the case of the Locust Mountain Coal Co. to the great Girard estate to S1.04 a ton ill 1918--constituted the first cause of the high price of coal. the statement said that was mot the full story. The other causes given were the means alleged to have been used by inc eight large companies to eliminate V the competition of the independent operator The statement said the companies were able to do this in the following ways:
 'Figh demurrage charges on cars at tidewater awaiting accum ula ton of B cargo lot.
 Inability of the independent oper- ator to accumulate temporary sur pluses in bins and storage yards the railroad producing companies having denied the independent operators the use Of their facilities
 Dog in Manager Attitude.
 The dog in the manager attitude of the eight corporations which ii was charged, continually reach out and obtain all available unmined coaI and prevent the independent operator from securing new land. Much ot this land, the statement said, is re- tained in an undeveloped state by the corporations.
 The statement also said millions oi tons of coal could have been obtained to relieve the recent shortage had the fuel administrat tion compelled trans nOrtntiOn rnio tn In,