Milford chronicle., 1920-11-05
CALDER FLAYS PALMER
FOR HIGH COAL PRICES
SAYS PROPOSALS FOR REMEDY OF SIT
UATION COMES TOO LATE TO Be
OF SERVICE TO THE PUBLIC.

Washington, November 5-Senator
William NJ. Calder, of New York. lays
the blame for the coal shortage and
high fuel prices entirely at the door
of Attorney General Palmer.
1T is reported in newspapers dis
patches" he said, that the National
( Coal Association, at the suggestion of
/ the Attorney General, has called a
meeting of mine owners in Cleveland,
| and that the Attorney Generals sug-
gestion carries the assurance that
anv action toward the reduction of
prices and the elimination Of profit
eering would not be construed under
the Lever act as an infringement oil
the law; that the Attorney General
had assured the National Coal Asso-
citation that action to reduce high
prices, if taken without infringement
of certain which he Will
communicate to the assOciation-and
the necessary discussion thereon by
the bituminous coal operators attend
ing the meeting, will not be in viola
tion of the Sherman act or of any
other law.
"The high cost of living is one of |
the outstanding facts of our day. New /
legislation can do little if our exist
ing laws cannot be enforced, espec-
ially the laws against prohteerlng.
For this the nation has turned in vain
to the Department of Justice, presid-
ed over by A. Mitchell Palmer, Attor-
ney General, who, after an incredible
six months of orgy of profiteering in
coal. is now suggesting a meeting of
he coal operators.
"Can we hope that Mr.. Palmer, at
his late hour, will do any better on
.oal than he did on sugar.
Senator Calder reviewed the failure
If the Government to contract for the
,uban sugar crop of 1919 at a low
rice. He compared the present coal
with the sugar market of a
ear ago and continued:
so ends the sickening story of SUI
ar, for which we have been paying
s and 80 cents a pound, adding hun
reds of millions to the high cost of
wing, until the market has at last
rOken of its own weight, and we
ave today, it is said. 1868, 100000
ounds more sugar in the United
tates or ahOat to the United States
ian we had at this time last year.
In mentioning the sufferers from
le coal profiteering orgy, l should Is
Iclude those dependent upon the re-
wal Of construction and should also lS
clude the United States Government Is
self as a sufferer. Admiral Benson. II
lairman of the United States
lipping Board, it is said, recently de-
AIRED: 1t is outrageous that the
Overnment should have to pay SIS Is
$50 ton for its coal. He figured II
'al at the mine at S4 a ton and added S
80 for dumping and transportation
larges. Somebody must be getting X
e difference, he is quoted as say
g. The difference is $14.50 a ton.
cling prices of SIS, $40 and $25
we been frequently mentioned
Mr.. StOrrOw, Fuel Administrator
New England. told the Senate Com :
ittee on Reconstruction, of which 1
n chairman, that the cost of coal n
offering to the American people 5
as $1,O00,0O0 day, and 1 have been
formed that coal profiteering is cost
g the gas consumers of Massachu-
it's alone at the rate of $4,000 a
ar.
Testimony before the Senate Com ;
lttee on Reconstruction has set the lk
esent cost of Virginia coal loaded
cars at between $3.50 and $4 a ton, IL
tn fifty cents ton fair profit One
orator said that the average price
ceived by MIN from January to July Is
this year for more than a million u
ms was only $500 a ton, yet coal has -
en- sold at $40 in New York harbor (G
d $25 in Boston harbOr"