Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-04-02
COAL AT Sf3 A TON,

COAL AT $13 A TON.
While $13 a ton for coal during the summer
months seems like a big price to pay for
this essential product it looks as IL IL was the
best price to be had and householders who have
room to store next winters supply would do
we'll to place their orders so as to take advan-
tage of such reduction as is offered.
The government seems to be powerless to OBJ
.ain relief for the public from the coal barons.
The anthracite coal fields occupy only a small
area in the state of Pennsylvania and they are
under the control of a mere handful of opera
tors who appear to be a law unto themselves.
In spite of numerous Investigations by govern
ment bodies and all the laws that have been
passed. nothing has been done to break up this
coal combine.
The manner in which these coal operators
hold up the public for excessive prices Of coal
has been likened to highway robbery. 1t Is
called a deliberate steal, yet the big fellows
get away with It. On the other hand, when
the tables are turned as was the case in this
city recently and seven persons were arrested
for stealing coal from cars on the Lehigh Valley
railroad they were promptly punished. the re-
corder imposing fines aggregating s155.
Why is it the little fellow caught stealing a
few buckets Of coal that he can't afford to buy
at the present prices is punished while the big
fellow who does his stealing by the Wholesale
to the tune of four or five dollars on each ton
sold, is unmolested?
Such talk as this is said by some to be stirring
up class hatred. Perhaps it ia. but il the gov
eminent would see to 1t that justice is a little
more equalized such contrasts would not stand
out SO glaringIy.
In spite of all the government Investigations
and all the laws that have been passed nothing
has been done to break up the coal combine.
The chances for anything being done this sum-
mer are very slim, hence the advisability of Or
dering coal now when it can be bought for $13
a ton instead of waiting until next winter when
the price will be probably $14 or SIS a ton
maybe more.
Coal dealers say it is necessary for people to
buy now so that orders may continue to- flow
into the operators to enable the latter to keep
their mines working. 1t is admitted that II the
mines were worked at their full capacity every
day in the year the supply of coal would not
exceed the demand. Yet, unless orders are in
hand the mines are deliberately closed. And
every day lost is just that much time lost in
furnishing the necessary supply. 1t cannot be
made up.
Why the coal operators cannot continue to
mine coal, orders or no orders, during the sum-
mer and store 1t, knowing full we'll that they
can readily dispose of 1t all later on, has never
been satisfactorily explained. 1t is said that this
would require two landings which would add
to the cost of production. But anthracite coal
used to be stored in great quantities, both here
and at South Amboy as we'll as elsewhere. and
the price was OWNER near as high as 1t is now.
The coal mines ought to be kept in continue
Gus operation, The government should see that
this is done. Railroads cannot stop at their own
%volition. neither can other public utilities- Why
should the coal mines?
Thirteen dollars a ton for coal in the sum-
rler months is an outrage, yet we are all. re-
tailers and consumers alike. at the mercy Of the
coal barons. From the present outlook to buy
now looks like the only thing to do. Fortunate
is the man who has the room to store his next
winters supply and the price to pay for it. even
ut its present figures.
Average American drank forty-four gallons
of milk last year. twice as much as a few gener-