Evening star., 1923-02-22
HARD COAL MINERS
SEEPUBL|C GOUCED
Assert Monopoly Is Taking
Unjust 0vercharge of at
Least 1851 a Ton.
WAGE SHARE MEAGER
Memorial to Coal Commission Saws
Injustice Covers Three Sep
arate Divisions.
WAGE SHARE MEAGER

Anthracite producers, through mo
nopoiy organization" are taking an
unjust overcharge of at least 1851
per ton from consumers. officials of
the miners union in the Pennsyi-
vania anthracite region charge In a
memorial made public yesterday upon
It's presentation to the United States
Coal Commission.
Declaring themselves tired in the
race Of such figures Of the operators
common cry that coal strikes are
caused by the lack of ability to nav
better wages" the memorial asks the
commission ton enforce uniform cost
accounting systems. by which the
facts could be determined beyond
question, and to consider methods of
making it possible for "men to en-
gage IN the business of mining coal
10 produce fuel instead of to produce
profits"
Presidents of three union districts
IN the hard coal region and Ellis
Searles and John Moore representing
the international organization, acting
as a committee, signed the prelim-
mary statement. Conclusions pre-
sented in it will be further explained
by statistical data and additional re
ports which the committee intends to
file later with the commission.
Three Divisions Covered.
Overcharging in anthracite occurs
IN three separate divisions. the state
ment asserts, about S1.26 per ton
being unnecessarily added as mining
cost. 81 in transportation and $1.35
in distribution, while il is added that
in "landowning there is an over
charge which we will not attempt
to estimate, but which may become
N q
industry in the immediate future" The
household consumer of anthracite, IL
also is charged, pays from 81 to IS
of the overcharge per ton on domestic
Sizes because part of the total
anthracite production is only fit for
steam firing. and bears less of the
oVercharge claimed.
Considering the whole annual out
put of anthracite, the committee says.
| the overcharges alleged would result
in taking S252. 900 per year from
the public in charges which its mem
bers do not believe are inevitable
or in any way necessary" Taking six
of the larger corporations producing
anthracite, the Lehigh Coal and Navi-
CATION Company, the Wilkes Barre
Coal Company. the Lehigh Valley Coal
Company. the Philadelphia and Read
ing Coal and Iron Company, the Della
ware and Hudson and the Delaware,
Lackawanna and Western Coal Com
pany, the committee continues, their
total prOnt III 1870 was fOun0 TO De
s32 900. 900. as compared with $500
600 in 1912.
Urged to Obtain Facts.
The commission is asked to ascer-
tain the facts as to production profits.
because while the estimates given are
asserted TO be las close to the truth
as is permitted by the very limited
information made public" the miners
; officials have been unable to obtain all
the data necessary to show the situa-
tion in its entirety.
I'VE, therefore, ask you to examine
such charges on the industry, with
view to eliminating everything which
is unnecessary and unwarranted." the
memorial says Until that is done the
anthracite coal industry will not be
able to give the efficient public service
We believe il should give. We know
il is natural under the present system
Of long distance ownership that there
should be such double charges, a keen
desire for great profits and resulting
Indifference to the welfare of men who
are investing their lives in the indus
try.
You will find out that this is be-
cause the majority of the coal mined
is controlled by the railroad companies.
which, in turn, are controlled by large
| financial interests in New York and
Philadelphia-by men who have never
seen the inside of mine"