Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1920-12-03
USELESS MlpoLEmAN
sE spoNsiplE FOR afcA
PRicE or HlyuNlNous coat
'nelore deaactins yard eos,


That The useless mlaaleman safl
onsiY termed einhhef .hfakNe.
"sneenletar." etc. II the men Who Is
caasins consumers 10 pay tAe pre-
Nailing hi9h psiees Cor eeal + la
conclusion of the committee annn agHa
BY fho subcommittee ef TIE coal -
Nesfieailng committee. which has ee1n
nleffd isa Investigations ug taei son
dislana.
fha inseeilgating committee. con
posed of :. " Love hua T. =
nausherts, Apent aevegni daas IA iha
mining districts. aud gathered snfos
nation from all pasaihie aoRfesa. feani
the diggar OF tie coal tn the insisl re-
tailer From the information thee
gathered. the above table ahaws sub
stantially the eos,s and profits Incl
dent 20 the handling of coal from the
miner to the consumer
II appears 10 he the practice for
operators ta contract the entire out
put Of their mines 10 the broker early
IA the spring. The contract price
ranged from 81 In the Springfield
district In ~ 90 In the southern iii
noia district. although AZ one mine
u WAS stated that the contract price
waa 81 The difference la the con
tract price wns said 10 he duo 10 the
EfAne OF coal. AZ no mine visited
could the committee taithuuKh II waa
empowered 10 do sol buy q single ton
lof coal. nor could they rarrlsn any
assurance af when coal could he
bought The committee was tuld they
must buy through the Chicago brek.
era. and pay whatever price the
broker asked (which " whatever he
lean saneeae out OF the local deairfl
Mine snperintendents told the com
mitteo that according tu their con
tracts With the brokers. they were not
allowed 10 sell any coal IN car lots.
although they could take care ut
wagon trade IN the vicinity OF the
lmine. The price paid the operator
WAS said 10 be hxed by the "aancesns
tion," which has headquarters In Chi.
cago.
The cost of coal to the wagon
trade" was found Ia be "A follows ia
l,iSsrsai ii fassmsns. slSo 4 Z s'slAsss.. Il ''
lxabD, Al Rivertcn, Sa,7n al the minn.
$3.50 10 miners In Sc Clair county.
S266 to miners. Az West Frankfort.
So 90 20 residents, salo 10 minora
II u said that IN 1916. operators
considered themselves lucky II they
realized 30 cents n ton profit now
their profit appears 10 be about fs
ton. due. II is snid, 60 Tho desire of
the brokers 10 control the market
However. he mlddleman, who ren.
dera no service to the public what.
lhyer. IA accused OF manipulating the
eoal supply In such a way thai con.
sulnerH are paying 300 per cent more
for thoir coal this winter than they
did year or two before
n waH the opinion Of many that
coal would decrease In price. and
slams seem 10 point 90 Il The Re
view is told that a dealer not far
from the Twin Cities is now able 10
buy coal through the broker at $500
q ton. The freight rate Is si.7i. and
he sells the coal at 50
Federal. state, municipal aud other
investigations are without doubt be.
ginning 10 have their effect. Strong
talk OF seeking federal control of the
mines and the distribution of coal
has thrown scare Into coal pro.
dueers and spectators that has
caused them 10 understand that II
theg are not more cOnsiderate 10 the
needs OF the public. their graft VIII
be taken away from them, and their
business placed in the hands of the
public, where IL rightfully belongs. In
Chicago, where an Investigation was
recently held. coal dropped 81 a ton
over night
Dozens of Investigations similar 10
the one being conducted by local peo-
pie. have been or are being made.
The people are stirred up to the point
where they viii stand for no more OF
the hold.up game that has been prac.
tieed on them during the last few
months
Just what steps will be taken by
the main Investigating committee Is
not known. II is expected that II will
not let the matter drop. but will take
the proper steps to secure permanent
relief II is probable steps will be
taken 10 have the constitutional con
yention write a law into the pro.
posed new constitution that will limit
the amount Of profit and the number
Of profits that may lawfully be made
on any necessity Of life. Or. federal
control may be urged Or co-opera-
lively owned mines may be the rem
edy. Anyway. the coal question must
be settled In way that Will allow
only fair profit 10 all concerned.
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