Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1921-05-03
COLLISION IN
COAL TRADE
lisa ALLEGED
Indictments Charge Agree.
ments to Regulate Prices
In Industry

INDIANAPOLIS. Ind, May 3. - A
criminal partnership between SOFT coal
nperators. miners and retailers has eN-
listed for many years. according 10 tse
,a.ge vf the government in ats anti
trust prosecution which began in the
Federal court here today
The Indictment is directed at 10 per
sons and corporations and il in Il e
counts. each charging violation # tic
Sherman antitrust law.
Among the individual defendants az
John l.. Lewis. Pres dent If th" nitri
Mine Workers If America; u. II. Went.
president of the National Coal Assacia-
tim. many others of both Organization
arsI some of the most prominent nrcr-
ators in the country.
The miners offic ais under ind'ctmc (
number 80. the operators. retaiinrS ard
their employees *: the corporate de-
PENDANTS 80. The defendants reside ID
six states Missouri. Illinois. Indiana.
Kentucky. Ohio anil Pennsylvania. Takrn
as whole the indictments charge: Firs-.
restraint of trade: sccond. restraint y;
commerce: third. restraint II trade ami
commerce: fourth. conspiracy a. mon
opolize and fifth. monopolization.
The idictment l. estimated to c"ntai
$4,000 words. one paragraph of which
Says: THAT M various joint conferences
miners and operators agreed AMI ar
ranged that they were partners in the
mining. prc lu,tiDn and diSfr button ~
bituminmis coal in the several states.
and that they sh"nld and wuuia all ami
assist each other in their plans and
efforts 10 increase wages. inrreasr isric
cseats shortages and limit production a q
distribution: that hituminous coal shon I
NOT be sold al any time for prir.
that did not ut the time yield Pras
20 to "nera'ors: that whatever increa, Z
Of wages Of miners should be- agreed "a
on. should be added to the price II coal
that competitisn among operators shousd
- eliminated by organization among 90
orators and such other methods ari
means a. would be effective therefor
that the means ~ increasing the
cost of prolus tien and the price of coal
wns by closing down and keeping lille
srsal mines.
The indictment also attacks the famous
''check-off'' system If paying union dues
If miners by which the operators vir-
iuaIIy act a "A collecting agency If tn
union by Withholding part II the miners
wages and paying this to the union.
The 1920 coal shortage. according Z"
the Indictment was manufactured BY th"
-oneratorS ''as part Of tie general plan
Of conspiracy"
Wv refusing ~ contract for future a.
liveries except ''for a price which would
81. -. "a
livery" the operators are charged with
having erected spot" market lats year.
their alleged plan being -to create .
scarcity of available coal AMI cause ?
high and excessive price
The operators are charged with oh
taIning priority coal shipment orders
from the Infers- ate Commerce Com
mission which diverted twenty million
tons If coal from the normal market {
places. mainly by shipments II West Nir-
ginia. Tennessee and kentuckey coal e.
New England and the Northwest This
diversion. in part. j. alleged To- hay"
affected contract deliveries. cause I'M
mediate purchases AZ higher prices ami
drove consumers into distant markets
md 80 disturhrd conditions that locai
shortages were created and industrir-
forced tn suspend wori-
IN respect to the 1920 coal S'iIiutipfl
the Indictment charges thar there was
NO shortage of availahlr coal III thr
United States during that time"
vari"us ether acts are charged hy the
long Indictment AZ = part of the rnustir-
acy. including allegations Of fixed terri
tnrial limits for an operators sales the
prom"tian If strikes. the private agree
ments If operators 10 maintain uniform
sales contracts. the breaking If c,ntrarr
deliveries. the refusal 60 sell direct q
consumers and aIsoI retailers who wer'
NOT members 81 Tie retailers ns>ocia
ton. and the initiation &c prices rs-
iaiiv ~ 'nretendrd sale and ''istrilHi-
tion' through safes agencies. separate
only I'm name from the operating am
production COMPANIES,
The indictments were returned lasi
February -. aztec an alm"~' cuutinU"u
Investigations ~ the government FOR i
months.