Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1922-11-17
COAL ROBBERY BY
MILLIONS ADMITTED

BY International Labor News Service
Washington, ID. C.. Nov. 16--"Eigh.
ty per cent of the poor people Of The
country are robbed of hundreds OF
thousands of dollars annually through
short weight" says "A resolution
adopted by the Board of Directors
and the Executive Committee of the
National Association of Retail Coal
Merchants.
The coal retailers ought to know
what goes on in their own business.
Examination into the facts hv the
international Labor News Service in.
dicates that actual conditions are even
worse than the confessions of the
retailers. The retail robbery Is esti-
mated at $3.50 100000 annually and
the number of householders who know
that they are being robbed is negligi-
Bile The National Association ex-
plains why In its resolution:
Goal is cumbersome aud
bought seldom, reads the resolu-
ton. ''It is impracticable for
householdefs to have big scales at
home and therefore crooked coal
dealers take advantage of short
age periods and under the pre-
tense Of serving the poor people
at cut prices, these crooked deal
ers deliver 1900 pounds, instead
of ton of 1000 pounds. If coal
is SIG a ton, the customer is robed
Of S4,"
The outrageous prices charged
those who buy coal by the basket has
nothing TO do with this story, which
concerns those who buy by the ton.
There is no discrimination by crooked
dealers in favor of wealthy customers.
When a dealer Is able to sell 81 tons
out of a carload of as tons there Is
something wrong, something for in
vestigation by the United States Coal
Commission. IL is believed that such
an investigation will be. made. and the
retail coal dealers have named com
mittee of five to represent the Ma
tional Association in the investigation.
The Association directs its criticism
against those who cut prices, but the
blame for short weight rests upon a
large number who do not pretend TO
cut prices.
According to figures on the con-
sumption Of coal in the United States
prepared by the Geological Survey in
response to requests for such infor-
nation, householdefs buy 57,000,000
tons of bituminous coal annually and
so 900 900 tons Of anthracite coal. II
so per cent Of this is sold at short
weight for IS and SIG respectively,
the public is muleted to the sum Of
$250,000, 900.
Large consumers Of coal have long
since ceased buying coal on faith.
They not only have scales to check
every ton Of coal delivered but the
larger industrial consumers test it
and buy according TO heat units. They
have found through costly experience
that anything that looked black would
be sold as coal unless the consumer
protected himself. The old maxim
"Let the buyer beware" seems TO be
a favorite in the coal trade and since
the big buyers are all bewaring, the
little buyer, the householder Is get
ting trimmed.
When .the United States govern
ment buys coal it specifies that the
coal must be dry and practically free
from slate, dirt, sulphur, and other
foreign substances, subject TO the
usual inspection and test and must
weigh 2,2i0 pounds per ton"
The householder pays for 1000
pounds, but is lucky, according TO the
retailers own statement, if he gets
500 pounds delivered.