The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1922-08-09
COAL OPE RATORS
'COUGE' PUBLIC,
ORGAN REVEALS
Non-Union Set Scraps Hoover
Maximum and Raises Price
to 1913 a Ton.
CHANGE MEANS MILLIONS
Extortion Shown to Average
Beyond $30,ooo,ooo Each
Fortnight.
CHANGE MEANS MILLIONS
By C. G. LYON
Times staff Correspondent


WASHINGTON. Aug. 9.-Non-union
coal operators, taking advantage Of
the Nationwide coal famine, gouged
the coal-buying public to the tune Of
SIS, 057 900 during the seventeenth
week of the strike.
During the sixteenth week their
gouge amounted to $12,839, 900. Total
gouge for the two weeks, $30.S96.00.
Not content with this latter extor-
ton they increased the price Of spot
coal at their mines s1.16 a ton during
the seventeenth week, thereby boost
ing their own profits S5,21S,0 900.
They themselves furnish the proof.
Their own official figures published
the average spot price" for coal at
the mines for the week ending July
81 was 1913.
The average spot price" for ths
week ending July "a was S5.57.
The operators produced 100000
tons during the week ending July "a
and 100000 tons during the week
ending July 81.
The "gouge" represents all over
and above the average spot price they
were receiving in March before the
coal strike began.
Boost Mine Prices
They were selling their coal for 1910
a ton at their mines in March and
making a profit on it-glad to get that
price in competition with the union
coal that was being produced
They jumped their price 20 $3.50
when the Hoover conference on May
80 set $3.50 as the maximum price"
they could charge at their mines.
They scrapped the Hoover agree
ment the minute the coal buyers be-
gan bidding beyond that for coal
Their extortion of s4.63 for every
ton they produced during the seven
tenth week of the strike-S4.63 rep
resenting the difference between $40
and S6.73-came at the very time
President Harding's new coal distri-
button commission was organizing
it's machinery to stop profteering by
refusing coal cars to those operators
who charged unfair prices"
Authorities Disagree
Coal operators like the idea Of the
Government making an equitable dis
trfbution of coal cars, but they don't
like the idea of the Government try
ing to fix a price Of $3.50 for coal at
the mines.
Says Coal Age in it's issue Of Aug.
on this point:
Practically every map who e.
presses an opinion about 1t says that
no doubt the Hoover plan of regu-
lating distribution is all right and
should work well, but when that same
method is used to restrict the price
to $3.50 a ton they think transgres-
sion of the law will have been made"
Coal Ages report on coal produc-
ton under State and Federal military
protection doesn't agree with the
statements of some operators that
idle miners are focking back to their
mines.
Efforts OF operators IN union fields
to get their mines in operation have
been practically fruitless," says Coal
Age. an the Pittsburgh district.
where most was expected and where
military protection has been provided
almost no coal has yet been loaded
out. In Ohio no attempt has been
made to operate any except the strip
mines which were in operation in the
early part of the summer. Illinois
and Indiana operators have made no
attempt to resume production"