Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-01-27

l found the coal there. and the bill
sent to me. The coal was nice
chestnut coal. and it was only six
teen dollars and fifty cents. with 4T6
off and so cents for Juggling in.
If they had teams, as l told you In
the caucus. they could have delivered
coal to anybody in Portland: but
owing to what has been said in the
newspapers about Commission form
Of government-we have a Commits
sion in that Department-the snow
has come on. and the Commissioner
Of Public Works has taken all the
teams that he could hire at a very
high price. and Randall and McAllis-
ter have been paying $500 a day for
double teams, which you know is
exorbitant. and thus they have been
obliged to charge an extra price for
the coal. ] was in their office. talk
ing over with Mr.. Merrill some things
you have heard me talk about here
State Pier business-and 1 heard
them offered five thousand tons of
Welsh anthracite. Now Welsh
anthracite is not like our anthracite
here. Welsh anthracite is thirty
per cent dust. and that thirty per
cent ought to be sold for bituminous
coal. for which l have been paying
ten dollars a ton, and anybody else
who went to the wharf after it got
it at that price. Now. of course.
they had to charge more for the
anthracite part of that coal in order
to make themselves whole. Nobody
wants to have anybody do any
thing at loss; so they bought this
five thousand tons of coal to help
out on the coal situation in Maine.
If you remember. l said that the
teams were the cause of 1t. and At
former caucus, l said that the
trouble was to the westward. Now
as you all know. when man sends
for coal from Maine and sends his
vessel out there to the coal forts to
get coal. if he has not got it down
to tide water. he has to pay an
eXorbtant price for spot coal. This
spot coal is put in and it comes from
the operator and he has five or six
brokers. and when you buy that spot
| coal. you have to pay for the diff
ferent dealers and commission for
everything. which makes it a very
high price.
For sixty years or over this firm
han done business in Portland, and
is one of the most reliable firms in
the State, and it is a shame that the
word has gone out through this
State that they were the ones who
were selling this coal for thirty and
| thirty-five dollars a ton, eighteen
pounds to the bag, which they never
have done to my knowledge in all
the time l have dealt with them.
something over forty-five years.
Now, politically. one of these
gentlemen | fight at the polls right
| along and we fight square. We take
our medicine when we get beaten.
and when the other fellow wins it is
all in good part: but for business he
is one of the best men I ever dealt
with and one of the squarest.
If it had not been for a certain
newspaper making all this trouble
| think that there would have been
no trouble in the city of Portland.
and that everybody would have had
coal in their cellars: and if people
| who could afford it had not thought
| that coal would later be cheaper and
had put their coal in in the spring.
there would have been no trouble.
That is partly the fault of the people.
and is not wholly on the coal dealers.
Gentlemen. l thank you.
The SPEAKER: Nj. Rounds of
| Portland moves that further con-
| sideraton of this matter be post
! poned until Tuesday next.
Mr.. CUMMINGS of Portland Mr..
| Speaker I have listened to the de-
,ense of my colleague. Mr.. Rounds.
i / suppose that it must have been
| thought necessary to have that put
| in as buffer here between the Fuel
| Administrator, Mr.. Lane. and the
| Randall-NIcAllister firm. I want to
! state that Mr.. Rounds must have
drawn the wrong inference when he
assumed in his statement that any
! thing went out from the caucus the
other night, charging that the RAN
dallMc Allster firm was firm sthat
had been selling worthless coal.
am quite sure the records will hear
me out that no such charge was
| made by Mr.. Lane or by anyone else.
I think it is a question between the
Fuel Administration and the Randall
firm. | do not see any reason why
we should be involved in it at all.
and | am opposed to the postpone
| ment Of the vote on this matter
Mr.. GRANVILLE of Parsonsfield:
Mr.. Speaker, l want to say that it
has been a pleasure for me to serve
on this committee with Mr.. Rounds
of Portland and Mr.. Baker of Steu-
ben, and to endeavor to arrive at
conclusion as to what is best to do
to relieve the fuel situation in the
State of Maine. The concensus of
opinion seemed to be that we have
| this matter investigated by the at
torney- general. relative to any undue
advantage being taken by anyone in
the city of Portland. Now such an
investigation ought to reveal the
truth and would be the best virdica-
ton of any of those under suspicion
of unjust and unfair dealings. Now
any action that we may take. to be
| of benefit to the people of the city
! of Portland. should be taken i'm
| mediately during the cold weather:
and ] hope the motion of the gentle
| man from Portland, Mr.. Rounds, will
not prevail.
Mr.. PHILLIPS of Orrington: Mr..
| Speaker. it seems to me that per-
| haps this matter has been handled
| satisfactorily. and that everybody is
| is well satisfied: and l hope the
motion of the gentleman from Port
land (Mr. Rounds) will not prevail.
| The SPEAKER: Mr.. Rounds of
! Portland moves that further investi-
cation of this matter be postponed
| until Tuesday next. The Chair rec
osnizes the gentleman from Chelsea,
Mr.. Hayes.
! Mr.. HAYES of Chelsea: Mr..
| Speaker. generally man is consider
ed guilty until he is proven innocent.
| If l am suspected of committing
some crime. / do not see why l am
rot liable to be investigated. and it
| seems to me the Fuel Director ought
| to be authorized to go ahead instead
| of being held back. I hope the
motion will not prevail.
The SPEAKER: Mr.. Rounds of