The Washington herald., 1921-02-09
Tells Senate Committee
of Sinister Combine
By Dealers.
COMPETITORS DENY
CHARGES BY RITTER
Claim All Faced Trouble
In Obtaining Fuel
During Shortage.

Charging that he was driven out
Of the coal business in Washington
by a dealers combine because he
sold below prevailing prices. John
{. l. Ritter. SO L street southwest.
now in the automobile business.
gave the Senate Manufacturer
Committee yesterday a volume or
names, dates and quotations cover
ing chiefly 1919
He made satisfactory pronIs .,
1896 ton I. C. b., while the asso-
ciated dealers were charging TS75,
he declared.
SPOtters Hirea.
His deliveries were shut on spot
ters were employed TO watch his
accounts. and producers at the
mines were induced by the Wash
ington' interests to raise prices 10
him until it was impossible for him
to continue business, he said. He
was called radical because ne
wanted to handle coal in way
that would enable poor people OF
the southeast and southwest sec
tions Of the city to obtain fuel Al
fair prices. and was frankly told
that the association had q meeting
and decided that he would have t.
get out OF business.
Absolute dental OF these charges
was made by J. r Zimmerman. sec
retary Of the Coal Merchants As
socistion Of the District. and promi-
nent coal dealers last night Thcy
declare that at the time Ritter was
having difficulty in securing coal all
other dealers were having the sam
difficulty owing 10 an acute short
age.
Dealers who had been buyinG
their coal from certain operators for
many years were only able to get
small parts OF their orders at that
timo." said Zimmerman. and-ft ~ss
impossible for any dealer 20 open
new account at that time
At q time when the public was
being informed that there was
plenty OF coal in Washington. Rit-
ter testified before the committee.
but when he attempted TO con-
tract tonnage for his customers
he was informed that there was
none for him. In filling a big no
tel contract, he declared, he was
compelled to handle the deliveries
on tickets made out to a firm other
than that with which he was sc-
tuslly dealing
Claims Persecution.
That he had gone from one Wash
inEton firm 10 another in his e.
forts TO buy coal to serve customers
at a price which meant good profits
to him. and was told that his meth
DDS were "demorsltzing prices" and
incurring disfavor. Ritter said vas
a condition that he had 10 contend
with from the spring Of 1919 to the
spring Of 1920. when he closed out
because he could not make con-
tracts for the succeeding year
Ritter told the committee he had
called upon members Of Congress.
asked assistance OF the Department
of Justice and hired lawyers in his
efforts to break down the barriers.
but that members Of Congress told
him nothing could be done unless
he proved he could make money at
the lower price, which he promised
he would do and did, that Depart
ment OF Justice detectives hung
around his place OF business until
it looked like they were his en-
ployes. and that lawyers told him
they couldn't get anywhere against
such a strong association as that in
which the coal merchants Of Wash
ington were involved.
Intends to Fight.
He testified that he brought suit
against the Standard Coal Compsoy.
and efforts were made to induce bfsn
TO drop the action, but that he had
obtained the services OF a lawyer
who was apparently not afraid OF
the combine and he would not give
up.
He said $4,000 worth Of equip
ment is on his hands as a memento
OF his ruin. He told how he had
formed the National Coal company
0ncOrporated) with the assistance o.
several large consumers OF the Dis
trict.
Ritter will continue today.his tes-
timony before the committee which
is investigating the coal situation
nationally in connection with the
Calder bill providing for government
regulation OF the industry