South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-10-08
SCORES ADVOCATES OF
"CHANCE" IN POLICY
OF u. S. GOVERNMENT
STATE BOARD TO
HEAR COMPLAINTS
OF COAL BARONS
Jesse Eschbach Announces
Hearings Will Be Held
in Capital Today.

INDIANAPOLIS, oct. The
three orders fixing the price Of coal
at the mines, and jobbers and re-
tailers profits issued Wednesday by
the special coal and food commits
sion are aimed at abnormal profits
Jesse L. Eschbach, chairman OF the
commission asserted IN an address
to railroad men here late Thurs
ady. Any coal men who feel that
they are injured by the price fixing
order may have a rehearing, he
said.
Mr.. Eschbach's was composed Of
the Indiana legislative board OF the
brotherhood OF Railroad Engineers.
and Order Of Railway conductors.
No Abnormal Profits.
No man in the state Of Indiana
need 10 lose a cent by our price fix
ing orders" said Mr.. Eschbach. "but
the coal commission does not pro-
pose that the coal men shall make
the abnormal profits they have been
making in the last few months
They can come in yet this even
ing. We Will start a hearing for
them Friday at o'clock and con-
tinue is hours a day until they get
their evidence in. We Will grant
them every reasonable cost and a
reasonable profit but no more. They
have indicated that they VIII refuse
10 obey our orders and will fight our
orders in the courts. If they under
take in the federal or state courts
10 tie up this commission. then the
responsibility for cold women and
children must be on their heads
| and not ours"
The commission. said Mr.. Esch-
bach, fixed prices on the actual cost
of production as ascertained by Its
experts. From the reports made
by thirty-nine investigators TO the
trade commission 1 fnd they operat-
ed during the first three months OF
1920 at a cost Of production a.
$2.12 per ton. on that cost they
! realized S2.38 in April that same
I group said their cost Of production
was S2.55 a ton and they sold that
coal at $2.S1. The % per cent wage
! increase was added in that month
| In May their cost was $3.50 a tor
and they sold at s3.04.
In May 1913 their cost was s2.6S
and they sold at S3.O4.
Thirty companies in 1913 Oper-
ated at a cost per ton Of S1.98 and
/ sold al S2.31. The first three month:
/ OF 1920 they mined at a cost OF
s2.2S and sold at $2.39 and in Apri
! 1920 their cost was $2.12 and theIl
( selling price was S2.S2 ton.
"Our lowest mine price for mine
/ run coal in Indiana under our order
4 is $500 a ton yet the operators in
| sist they viii lose money at thi.
/ price.
Contract For Coal
A school board only last weel
/ contracted with an indianapolis
( wholesaler for its winter supply. Il
was notified a few days later tha
] the wholesaler couldn't provide th'
I coal unless IL went through tht
/ hands Of a retailer who was 10 ge
2 5 cents a ton. The coal was be
/ ing sold z o. b. the mines at from
81 to S7.5S"
/ a hearing to the Bunting Coal Co.
/ Of Warsa-Y on its representation tina
] II could not do business under th'
S225 margin OF profit fixed for re
tailers. In granting the hearini
I which is 20 be held at O'Clock mex
, Monday morning Mr.. Eschbach sal,
| that any other retailers who nigh
| feel they could not operate unde
/ the legal margin would be heard
He said that they must show b.
I their books and records that tn
( margin would cause them 20 los
! money before they could bet an
/ relief.
Nothing Definite.
No hearings have yet been ap
piled for by mine operators or JOB
\ bers. Although indications the tha
/ 0C0XTINUED CN PAGE FOUR