Evening star., 1935-04-07

HAVE THROWN MANY OUT
ORk.
behind his house, put down a shaft
and, times out of 10. there he
would find coal. And that Is exactly
what he did
At first the miners peddled the
coal individually in an automobile
or, by clubbing together, to rent a
truck. Soon some of the miners had
made enough money to buy trucks
for themselves. They gave up mining
and began to buy the coal. assuming
for themselves the risks Of resale
and delivery. AS knowledge spread
that coal could be bought cheaply
at bootleg holes. other men started
to buy and sell it.
With the advent of these coal truck
ers the bootleg coal business was fully
launched. Selling the coal from 81
to So below the regular retail price,
the bootleg truckers found ready
buyers, first in the coalfield towns and
then other cities. The radius of de-
livery was extended gradually through
Central and Northern New Jersey into
the New York metropolitan area and
south to Baltimore and Washington.
1t is estimated that Philadelphia is
today receiving 1000 tons of bootleg
coal daily, Baltimore. 500; New York
City, $500. Recently bootleg coal
trucks have been seen as far south
as Cape Charles, Va, and as far west
as Chambersburg, Pa.
OF course, the coal companies have
not stood idly by while their coal was
being carted of and sold. They first
sent out their own miners to explode
charges of dynamite adjacent to boot
leg holes to cave them in.
Whistles and Bells Sound.
In some localities. whenever the coal
police appear to blast hole shut, all
the whistles in the village blow and
the bells ring. In an instant men, wom-
en- and children rush to the hole and
take their stand in it and around it.
Gandhi is not the only person who
knows the effectiveness of passive re-
sistance. State police and other Off
cial enforcement agencies usually re-
fuse to interfere unless actual rioting
takes place.
Anyway, with thousands Of miners
in the game, new workings can be
opened faster than the coal COM
panies can cave them in. In the main,
the bootleggers have kept of the prop
erty Of companies which are still
operating several of their mines.
The coal companies have also tried
recourse to the law. But soon magis-
trates began to dismiss miners who
were accused Of theft and juries to
acquit those who came to trial. In
deed, the only way the coal companies
can get men arrested in any of the
coal counties is by their own deputy
police-and recent incidents seem to
indicate that some of these deputies
are not very keen about carrying on a
losing battle.
On one occasion one Of the coal
police drove up to a nest of bootleg
holes where the men were all above
ground eating their lunch.
Come" he said, I'm going to clear
you all out Of here. I'm going to
arrest you right now. I'll take one
man from each hole"
After some argument the men de-
cided among themselves which ones
would go.
"Aw," said the policeman, taking q
proffered cup of coffee, Its no use to
haul you fellows in. Last week I took
couple of bootleggers to the lookup
AS I walked around the corner to get
into my car on the side street, met
them coming out the back door. I'm
not going to be made a fool of again. u
Upon still more recent occasion a
coal company deputy arrested eight
or nine men. The magistrate heard
the charge against them and fined
each man $40.
I'VE can't pay it," said the miners
one and all. I'VE haven't got So"
Then I'll make it S." said the
magistrate.
1--WE haven't got S." replied the
men.
Can you pay 81 apiece?"
"No."
"Well, then, next time you get q
dollar, will you each bring it in to
me?"
Sure" replied the men, eff we ever
get dollar We'll bring it to you"
Thereupon the magistrate dismissed
the miners; they climbed into the
truck and the company policeman
took them back to their workings.
Why is it that the processes of law
that ordinarily safeguard property
have thus broken down? To some
extent, no doubt, politicians protect
the bootleg miners to secure their
votes. 1t is realized that the great
majority Of them were honest men
who never had q thought Of stealing
anything as long as they could get
work. And in many minds there is
resentment against the coal companies
for shutting down the mines.
However, the chief reasons why
public opinion backs the bootleggers
are probably economic. First, if the
miners were prevented from mining
and selling the coal, the county or
State would have to contribute to
their support. It is said that many
Of the bootleggers are also getting re-
lief, but certainly the drain upon pub
lie funds is much less than II they
were earning nothing.
Coal Bought by Residents.
Second, the residents of the district
are buying coal-and good stove and
nut coal 1t is, too-delivered in their
cellars for $5.75 a ton. At the mines
1t would cost them $7.25, with hauling
charges extra. Some of the leading
merchants and foremost citizens Of
the anthracite towns are using boot
leg coal.
Third, the bootleg coal traffic brings
into the district millions of dollars
zconfin,,e6 7,E1NnE6 Pa1e7