New-York tribune., 1922-09-14
Ford Charges
I.C..C,. Is. Aiding
Coal Profiteers
In Control of Empty Cars,
Board Plays Into Hands
of Interests, He Declares
i'm Attack ON Wall Street
Fails to Tell Own Plans
Statement Calls Report He
Bought 100000 A Tons
for Plants Propaganda
Special Dispatch i, The Tribune


Special Dispatch 10 TIE Tribune
DETROIT, Sept. ia formal state
ment was issued to-day by Henry Ford
in which he attacked the Interstate
to see that coal was delivered to the
public. He also took wallop at Wall
Street, but neglected to say whether
he had changed his mind regarding
his announcement made two weeks ago
that he would close his plants next
Saturday on account of coal shortage
His statement said in part:
"The present so-called coal crisis
!, shows up the Interstate Commerce
Commission. If this commission was
ever useful it has now outlived It's
usefulness like the gold standard and
Wall Street
Says |. C. c. Aids Profiteers
I'm it's control of empty coal cars,
the Interstate Commerce Commission
is playing right into the hands Of the
profiteers under the guise Of regula-
tions for the public good The same
interests who own the public utilities,
railroads and mines are using the COM
mission as part Of their scheme to
fleece the public. 1t is so simple that
nobody sees it.
Through newspaper head lines they
spread propaganda about a coal short
age so that everybody starts scramb-
ling for coal. The Associated Press
bulletin of last Saturday to the effect
that we had bought 100000 tons Of
coal was an absolute lie and added to
this propaganda to keep every con-
sumer scrambling.
Furthermore, by squeezing labor
and reducing their pay, these same in
terests cause strikes and throw the
railroads into convulsions, Immediately
cutting down the available car supply
with which to transport coal.
Utilities in Plot, He SAYS
Having convinced the public that
there is shortage they ration coal
to themselves through the commission
under the guise of priority for public
utilities. These utilities then take ad-
vantage of these conditions by paying
high prices for coal and in turn can
raise the rates to the public.
If the government had desired it
could easily have stepped in and given
the public all the coal it needed. Why
should it let the Labor Board set the
wages for the railroad crafts so far
below living wage that they would
strike. Why should the I. c.. C.
permit the Louisville g. Nashville
RAJ Railroad to carry approximately s7o,-
100000 surplus while at the same time
it pays inadequate wages and keeps
an insufficient one-track road serving
the most productive coal fields.
81. c. c. Sits Idly By"
"They should insist that the l.. g.
N. build adequate utilities into the
heart of this great coal region and
thus meet the annual coal problem
but instead, in weak inactivity, they sit
idly by, seeing the country's fuel re-
sources in a grip frightened by sign
from Wall Street.
Everybody admits that the mines
can produce the coal, but the commits
sion allows Wall Street to so manipu-
late and artifcially create car short
age as to befuddle the public into ac-
cepting a scarcity Of coal and buying
at profteer prices.
"The commissions half-hearted and
incomplete administration constitutes
a dangerous and inefficient meddling
with our present, coal crisis, which
would vanish if they discontinued their
disastrous interference.
"If the commission were at ell capa-
Bile of handling their job they would
Immediately bolster up the deficiency
Of the l.. & N. with equipment locomo-
tives and men available on other roads.
In public emergencies like these any
locomotives or cars or men on any
roads should be mustered for relieving
the L. & N.
with wonderful opportunity for
public service the I. c. c. widely missed
the mark. Instead of controlling the
roads they are pawns in the hands of
the New York clique who want to
maintain this industrial disturbance as
being the best means for large and
quick profteering"