Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-02-28
PROBE Of COAL
PRICES PUSHED
Legislation is introduced -
Report Made by Mackay
Investigating Committee

TRENTON, Feb. 2S:-Combina-
tons or trusts for the sitting of
competition are prohibited by the
terms of one bill introduced in the
legislature last night by Senate
President William b. Mackay, of
Bergen county. and discrimination
in the matter of prices of commodi-
ties is made illegal by the provisions
or a second measure introduced by
the same member. Accompanying
the Introduction OF these bills and
the reason for them was the report
Of the .Mackay investigating commits
Tee which since the close OF the
1921 session has been studying the
.oal situation in New Jersey.
II will be recalled hat some
months ago the committee declared
that 1t needed a law along the lines
of one of the famous seven sisters"
acts which President Wilson, when
governor in 1918. put through the
legislature. Last year Senator Run
yon of Union, introduced a series
of ~repealers for these measures.
which wiped the seven sisters OFT
the governmental map of h state.
At the time there was much glee
among the enemies of Wilson n
the "sisters'' were attacked as pieces
OI ICE lcldliOn III "hANA
never been a need.
The two bills introduced last night
by Senator Mackay, as result OF the
coal probe, are in general intent
and purpose counterparts Of two OF
the sisters" They prohibit "trusts'
10 stop competition and they ban
the fixing of prices.
In its report filed last night the
Mackay committee charges that
combinations of GOAL dealers exist
for the purpose of charging a uni
form price. While unable TO prove
this, the committee declared h a 1t
Is satisfied there is an understand
ing,v not only among the producers
and their sales agents, but an under-
standing among the members of the
different retail coal dealers associa-
lions that the domestic supply of
anthracite coal shall be disposed of
at 4 uniform price. The report said
fle minutes OF the associations are
80 kept as to avoid in every way any
suggestion of anything pertaining to
the price to be charged by the deal
err.
THE majority of associations are
controlled by a Board OF Governors
consisting of from even to ten MEM
bors. 1t is undoubtedly through
tukm LItdL TIC plItC 10 h~Nu . W.
board OF governors usually consists
OF the largest retail dealers in the
respective localities. whose price TO
the consumer for domestic size OF
anthracite coal in almost every in
stance Is uniform" sad the report.
The resolution to continue n
Mackay Coal Probe committee Will
DO introduced in the legislature to-
day. In its report the committee
asks this and to fill the vacancy
caused by the retirement from the
legislature of Senator Brown. of
Middlesex, Democrat, and Assembly
man Nelson, Republican, OF Hudson.
Elm addition to Senator Mackay. The
-cther members are Senator Wall
No. OF Camden, Speaker Rowland
4 OF Camden, and Assemblyman Guth-
lie Of Mercer. all Republicans.
ut is true that the cost or coal
1T the mines has increased very ma
terially in the last five years" said
the report, that the cost to the re-
taller has. been increased materially
bv the increased cost of freight and
that the gross profit allowed to be
charged by the coal administration
during the war period has led a great
many OF the dealers to feel that that
Is the profit they are justly entitled
10. and in some instances more.