The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-07-14

Cleveland Coel.

Cleveland. Ohio. July 14.-Cleve-
lard q again prepaxe4 - sc lnso
tha cal business. 4 new fael o.
eial has bean appointed ~ the NAY
u q the snggestiCa OF the CIV
couneil. and Arrangements are -.
ine made for the establishment g
8 municipal cpal PIE, 70 - opened
fps the bsneAt Of the public on
Sent. !. When the cold weather
comes and the price ce coal eoara
above Us Per ton. - evsfyDooy
predicts Il wilt Cleveland 10 going
10. furnish coal to householdefs q
cost, plus the expense Of delivefy:
Cleveland II within 80 mtles OF
one OF the largest coal mining dis
tricts in the country. and yet i y
now suffering from m acute COAL
shortage. The reason advanced ~
coal dealers IL that the railroads
will not provide enough cars 20
transport tho coal from the mines.
They also claim that strikes among
the miners have prevented = nor
NAL production Of coal which will
result In an actual shortage during
the coming winter.
This seems 10 b considered suf-
flcient excuse for Immediately
trebling the price Of coal--at least
BY the coal dealers. But neither
the city authorities OF Cleveland
nor the United States attorney gen
eral, Mr.. Palmer. agree with them.
Indeed. the LITTER disagrees %
forcibly with che coal dealers that
he has ordered . statewide inves-
tigation Of coal prices and the
prosecution Of operators who are
charging more than $2.9 = ton for
the bituminous product. According
to him. the Wholesale and retail
dealers in coal are guilty of circu'
lating deliberate propaganda con.
corning a coal shortage in order to
boost fuel prices.
i Says Dealers Exaggorate.
1.-THE production Of coal has beer
hampered," he admits, but there il
no serious shortage. Dealers are
publishing exaggerations in thu
hope Of creating false prices. More
coal was mined during the frs
four months Of 1920 than during
any similar period in the histor,
Of the country" .5-
In ordering prosecutions undel
the Lever act. Mr.. Palmer explain
ed that during the month Of April
with the production cost Of coal a
$2.79 a ton. operators sold thei
product at g and 81 ton. since
then the price has been forced q
high as 81 and 81 . ton. Indeed
II Mr.. Palmer only knew 1t, thu
price Of coal in Cleveland and Gin
cinnati is much higher than that.
; Cleveland, moreover, is not cheer
ed by Mr.. Palmer's sanguine belle
:. that the investigation OF coal price
by the agents Of the department o
justice, however ruthless they ma.
be with reds" is going to resul
in bringing coal prices down. TIL
coal dealers are for the most par
American citizens, in absolute &C
cord with the American system o
: government. which fundamental
does not object to free prpfiteerfns
Anyway, Cleveland is not takin
any chances. 1t is going about tn
solution Of the fuel difficulty in it
own way, with apologies to the 10
cal coal dealers. 1t ia preparin
to have = coal yard. to I'LL it wit
about 5000 tons Of coal. and dis
pose Of II frugally in small sack
or in one-ton loads at the most I
individual families. In taking thi
important step, the city authorize
hasten to add that they have no ur
. friendly feelings toward the locs
coal Dealers that Is, the local an
legitimate coal dealers. I'VE Al
not in business" declares one {