South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-01-30
STATE COAL MEN
end LOCAL MEET
Mine Officials and Dealers
Hold Banquet and Enter
tainment At Oliver Hotel.

Addresses by men conversant with
both the dealers and operators prob
lens in coal production and an elab-
crate banquet and amusement fea-
lures furnished by several of the
best known local entertainers com
posed the pleasingly varied features
of the closing session OF the first
annual convention of the Northern
Indiana Retail Coal Merchants as
ISOLATION held Thursday evening in
the Rotary room of the Oliver ho-
tel.
Phil Penna. secretary Of the state
operators association and prominent
figure in the late coal controversy.
Harry Hagen, prominent operator Of
southern Indiana and Judge Frank
Gilmer, OF the South Bend city court
We're the principal speakers Of the
evening
Presents Statistics.
Constantly reoccurring labor trou-
bles and the difficulty experienced by
operators in procuring transpOrta-
tion Of coal from the mines to the
dealers are the two principal rea-
sons behind the scarcity and high
price OF coal according 10 Mr.. PEN
ma who presented statistics gather
ed since the late strike
In the fields of southern Indiana.
he stated. between January o and
~ there has been a decrease in pro-
.duction Of s., 7,596 tons due 20 labor
troubles and 347335 tons from
want of cars. Mr.. Penna also went
into an interesting technical dis
.cussion Of the relations of the miners
and operators as they were fixed by
the final settlement of the strike.
Prices TO Increase.
That coal will never be cheaper
than at present was the belief of
Mr. Hagen who stated that if con-
d.tious IN Indiana fields were 20 be
taken as a criterion it was safe TO
assume that anthracite production
had reached its crest and would eX-
perience O. gradual decrease in the
years Immediately 10 come
To force unions 20 incorporate
making them legally responsible for
breach of contracts with employers
was the solution offered by Judge
.Gilmer for much OF the labor diff
hculty confronting the country to-
day. A union operating on this
basis would more often stop To con
slider before declaring a strike with
.out regard for its contract with en-
ployers and because of some petty
difficulty of one man or small
percentage O. the men affected. he
declared
Advocated Advertising Campaign
Judge GUmer also advocated an
educational advertising campaign by
dealers to give the public better
insight of conditions ia the mines
and reasons for the advance in coal
prices. He also declared that the
public should be educated 20 the
habit OF buying coal from dealers
in advance ot its needs and by do
ing so eliminate the fall rush OF
buying forcing the dealers 90 stock
at this season and be unable 20 sup
ply the demand at other times.
The addresses were inters9crsed
hv entertainment features an OF
which were greeted with applause
which forced oncores
Misses Ellen Cheney. Ada shaw
and Christine Pacy Juvenile dancers
save several solo numbers which
were enthusiastically receiv q.
"Chuby" Mccormack OF Notrc
Dame kept the audience On a cou-
uauous ripple OF merrlment during
his occupancy of the stage. Tl e
Harlequin Society orchestra furnish
e5 music during the evening Vocal
solos and violin numbers were well
received