The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1920-12-03
Operators And Brokers Throughout
Country Are Found In rlad Orgy
OF Greed And Profiteering

! approXimating naturalization Of the
coal industry.
In other words, these arch defend
ers Of privilege are forced by circum-
stances they cannot control to concede
that after all is said and done the
people viii be helpless and hopeless
just as long as essential basic indus
tries are dominated by individuals who
have only proft-taking interest in
them
When the nation faced the emergen-
cy Of winning a war it was necessary
to control prices and production.
Nothing was gained By appeals to
the patriotism Of the prodteers. The
government secured from the great
mass Of citizens prompt willing and
effective cooperation, but not from
the coal operators and purveyors of
coal They were checked in their mad
pursuit of profits by a maximum price
for their product
Orgy Of Profiteering
lust as soon as price control was
relaxed there was resumed an orgy Of
pfofteering that continues to this day,
in face of the nose-pulling Of the att
torney general and vague threats that
never materialize Iron bars 10 not
a prison make for coal barons. They
are not susceptible to ordinary meth
DDS Of regulation or to the humanitar-
ian instincts that control their coun-
trymen
Senators Edge and Calder realize
this and declare that they are ready
to 90 just as far as the constitution
viii permit in regulating the industry.
and they offer their remedy after ain
other efforts at reconstruction had
ended disastrousIy
Little Interest in Masses
1t is scarcely possible that any
thing 50 drastic will be attempted, or,
if attempted, that it will be consum-
mated The government as now con
7tituted has little interest in the fate
of the masses Its concern is that
1 private exploiting business shall be
protected, and there will be little if
any interference with profits, no mat
ter how large
But it does no harm to talk about
these matters. Sooner or later there
will be a government that will take a
contrary view, and discussion will
hasten its coming
When an earnest effort is made to
check the criminal practices of the
coal people it will take the form Of
the threat made by those eminently
respectable conservatives who in their
blind rage stumbled upon the only
real, abiding solution Of vexing prob
lem.
Private Control Criminal
The verdict rendered by the 7oters
at the recent election is interp. eted
4 by the organs of privilege and reaction
as demanding a hands-off policy to-
wards business. Mr. Harding declared
that he wanted the government to
have as little as possible to do with
private business. He regards its in
huence as paralyzing He would give
the coal profteers and other exploit
ers full opportunity TO exhibit their
"God-given initiative" He would
doubtless veto any suggestion Of reg
ulation on naturalization in the in
terest of the oppressed consumer.
So, if relief win not come as the
gracious act Of a government solicit
Gus Tor the happiness and well-being
Of its subjects, but through the strong
force of public opinion vigorously ap-
piled where # will do most good.
All Without Avail
1t must be patent to every honest
student Of private management Of
large industries that it is fundamen.
tally unsound and essentially dishon
est No law has yet been devised thai
will keep it in the straight and marrow
path. For nearly two years the gov
ernment has been dealing with th,
coal industry, using threats and mora
suasion and one or two prosecutions
all without avail
While the criminal element of tn,
coal industry is given chance t,
prey it will prey, in spite of every
thing or anything that governmen
agencies may do. 1t is impossible t.