Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-02-07
HERE'S A PLAN TO BRING
COAL TRADE TO REASON
New Workers Begin q Fredericksburg
Movement Which should BE Sup
ported by Pennsylvania and
New Jersey

New Jersey
THEY do more in New York than jazz
i and kiss the ground under the feet of
Tammany. Now and then the cliff dweller
turns. even as the worm Of legend, and
fights the oppressor like creature pos
scssed Of furies. SO it was that Samuel
untermyer and his associates leaped at the
building. materials combine and smashed 1t.
And now New Workers, tingling apparently
with memories of Untermyer, are attempt
ing greater job.
They are going forth to assault the coal
man on his home grounds, to an attack on
the verdun Of the pro6teers. If there can
be organized in Pennsylvania and New
Jersey q general movement Of co operation
with New York the retail cost Of anthracite
will drop three or four dollars a ton
before. next autumn
George Gordon Battle--his name suits
him admrably-is the generalissimo of this
new war against the new frightfulness. He
Is a fighting lawyer with temperament
much like Untermyer's. Associated with
Mr.. Battle in a movement intended to be
universally representative of anthracite
consumers are men chosen to represent all
sorts of businesses, industries and homes In
New York City and neighboring areas.
They aren't going to draw up resolutions
of appeal to Congress or their Legislature.
They are through with that sort of thing.
They seem to be pretty sick of the poll
ticians. They are going to fight indepcnd.
emily in the open.
Charles G. Edwards. president of the Real
Estate Board. and John II. Towne, chair
man of the board, lead the large group of
business men who have enlisted for battle
with Mr.. Battle. Their organization is
called the Anthracite Consumers Associa-
ton. 1t isn't going to take any chances.
Its president is Henry Mace Payne. mining
engineer and former dean of the School of
Mines Of the University Of West Virginia.
and its secretary is Charles 8. Allen, freight.
rate specialist and coal trade expert. So
the professional befuddlers in the coal in
dustry, who have been SO successful in the
systematic bewilderment of Congress and the
Legislature of Pennsylvania, will not have
things all their own way with the Anthra.
cite Consumers Association.
The first big skirmish Of the insurgent
New Workers. will be with the Interstate
Commerce Commission. Preliminary sur
veys have disclosed an astonishing fact. 1t
has been shown that the freight rates on
anthracite between the producing fields and
New York now averages S2.G1 a ton.
That rate--an inflated one-was made
when the railroads held undisputed ruling
power over the hard coal mines. The aver
age freight rate on other important com.
modities is $1.31 per ton for hauls equal
to that required for coal. s1r. Battle and
his associates will first demand an equal.
ization of the coal freight rate to New York.
BY this means the retail price of anthracite
could be Immediately reduced S1.30. 1t
is estimated that the excess charge alone
involves loss Of approximately $50, 900 900
annually by consumers in the Eastern an
thracite consuming area.
1t is the intention of the Anthracite Con-
sumers' Association to win this first fight
and to 60 on from that point with scien-
tifcally formulated program of co-opera-
ton with any group that labors for neces-
sary reforms in the coal industry, to compel
the delivery of clean coal to those who pay
for it and to educate consumers in the
efficient and economical use of anthracite
and bituminous.
1t isn't out to do any Injury or injustice
| to anybody. 1t Is neutral on the subject Of
miners wages and seems to believe that
! existing wage schedules have little to do with
the high cost of coal. Its experts say they
| can reduce the consumers coal bill from
90 to % per cent by merely compelling the
maintenance Of standards of hard and soft
coal in the retail market. 1t is organized
| in the interest of every coal consumer,
whether he buys five or five hundred tons Of
coal year.
Since the Anthracite Consumers Asso
citation can do for Pennsylvania and New
Jersey what it will do for New York there
should be an immediate effort to form co
operative or auxiliary organizations in these
two States.
People haven't been buying coal. The
storage yards are overhowing. What union
men say will be the biggest conl strike OF
history Is planned for April 1. Such a
strike would tend to increase coal prices
next winter. 1t would put great strain
on the unions and perhaps break some OF
them. The coal producers show no eager.
ness to prevent it.
The insurgents in New York want Sl1 o,
Sl2 coal next winter. They want co-opera
ton. And if they have to work alone Goa
NAV he SIG or SIS ton next winter