Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1922-10-05
COLLAPSE OF COAL coABINE.
Henry Ford Puts Crimp In Plans Of
PrOiltoers to- Rob the Public.

Henry Ford Puts Cr1mp In Plans OF
Profitoers TO- Rob the Public.
apme weeks ago Henry Ford an
noqpced that he would not pay the
exofbitant prices asked by the coal
barons for Iuel to operate his auto
mobile plant in Detroit Following
the3 announcement the plant was
closed and remained closed until the
coal men came to their senses by re-
ducihg the price Of coal. In the last
issue Of the Dearborn Independent,
Fort's weekly paper, the following
editorial appears showing just how
the profiteers came under when they
saw that Ford had called them and
wasiin position to make their scheme
cost. them more than the profits they
had expected to wiring from the pub
lie would have amounted to:
'F'or the present, industry seems to
have put crimp into the plans of
the coal controllers for a wholesale
lootipg of the public. A single pro-
test brought the unholy edifice of
price exploiting tumbling about the
proffteers' heads. The protest was,
as must always be expected, Yiciously
misinterpreted. The sob cry was dill
igently persisted in by the capitalistic
organs until 1t became positively
nMseating. Interests that had de-
liberately arranged to wiring the last
dollar out Of the families of America
by maintaining all through the win
ter the menace OF empty bins and
fireless homes, were suddenly con-
sumed with sympathy for the poor
workingman when industries closed
down in protest rather than submit
to the unspeakably wicked robbery
which had been designed upon the
American people. Interests that
would have kept the country on curb
ed fires and would have made fuel.
the biggest item in this winters fam
lily budget, pretended to be melted
into pity for the poor employees who
sacrificed $25 in wages to save $3.50
on their coal bills. II is the typical
old bunk, but this year It was very
badly stage-managed, in that 1t was
directed against the wrong target.
"The effect of the industrial pro-
test was Immediately feltt AT the,
time the warning was given that ins
three weeks mammoth Industry
would have to close unless coal con-
dluons improved, coal was selling to
manufacturers as high as 50 a ton.
When the announcement was made
the price wavered a little. Then came
the -cry that 1t WAS only bluff cry
which arose in the same quarters
whence the sympathy cry afterward
came, and for the moment the high
coal price was strengthened again.
As the earnestness of the protest be-
came apparent (nothing is harder for
the exploiters to understand than a
STRAIGHTFORWARD, honest statement) a
break became noticeable. Coal climb
cd down to $S and 81. The Saturday
OF the shutdown 1t reached $3.50. On
Monday 1t was $3.50. On Tuesday 1t
was $4.50. A week later, at this
writing, 1t is offered at 50. II bought
on contract (Which also plays into
the hands OF the profiteers) 1t can be
mad at $3.50. And mountain of coal
at that
This rapid collapse of prices
shows the artificial nature OF the
Whole situation. There was always
plenty of coal. The scarcity was
make.belieye. The only dangeous
moment came when the government
created real scarcity by announc-
mB controf OF distribution. The coal
problem then became an acute trans-
portation problem. When, as. q FUR
ther result OF the Industrial protest,
the government took It's hands off
and ceased creating a situation which
best suited the gougers' desires. the
retreat became a rout, the decline be-
came collapse.
There still remains the domestic
situation. Big Business could Of
course see that the domestic consum-
er gets Just as immediate an adyan-
tage as industry has gained. 1t Is to
be hoped that the coal dealers, as
sociation will see the handwriting on
the wall and not lean too trustfully
on the helplessness of the unorgan-
lied and leaderless public. There is
way to make Big Business the
friend Of the, householder in this situ-
alton, and if It is once necessary to
do SO, 1t will be goodbye to some
things that now exist"
Good Year for Lean Body.
The Perpetual Building and Loan