Show RAIL LIlT RAPS Ar c COAL Al' Al I OPERATORS I W. WASHINGTON GT N. N May 28 coal coal owners took OO i iwar In in- I war profits W. W Jett Lauck economist of the railroad brotherhoods declared toda today in a supplementary surey survey sur sur- vey ey t of t the bituminous coal Industry I presented to the labor board Translated into Individual terms Lauck declared this gouging means mean that each family in the United States State paid approximately 25 thus accounting accounting account account- ing for an important factor In tn th the high cost of ot living Lauck supported his charges wit with I d data ta based o on inco income e taxes taxes' of coal corporations cor cor- cost reports leports of t the fed federa ral trade commission and financial statements statements statements state state- ments of ot the companies themselves HUGE PROD PRODUCTION PRODUCTION- With an average annual pr for tor the three years 1916 1917 and 1918 1913 of nearl tons tois and an an- anaver average average average aver aver- age e excess cess profit per ton for foi the three the three thre years rears of more than 27 c. c cents crits it is apparent ap ap- ap- ap patent parent that coal operators gouged th the consumers for an aggregate of ot hal hala half haIl halfa haIla a billion dollars Lauck said sald I The people of ot this country pai paid all the war taxes of the coal operators operators operators opera opera- I tors paid their co contributions to tile th thRed Red Cross and other war wartime welfare organizations paid aid huge in sums Bums ns' ns for lor de depletion depletion de- de and on top of ot that paid them half a billion or i- i imor more mor i in innet net profits profit than the they were ere cap capable ble of ot earning a ning ing in ina a similar period during times Umes he charged LABORS LABOR'S PART Lauck f flatly aUY denied d that increased increased- labor costs are In an serious any degree legree responsible for tor the greatly gr increased prices of ot coal He also denied that tha the high prices were Justified by Increased In in- in increased increased creased prod production n ass asserting that while production Increased 21 per percent percent pe cent over three prewar years profits rose over per cent Less than one We fourth of ot the increase in the price o of coal was taken talen by labor labo he said Th Tha claim that labor is responsible Lauck said is utterly false Lauck gave figures to to show that at a aleast least coal operators throughout th the United States took profits In iii excess o ot of 15 per per cent in 1917 and n in in- ten In Instances Instances instances In- In stances the maximum earnings on capital stock ranged as high as 1000 1000 per cent and 85 per cent showed earnings after deduction of taxes o ot of over oyer 25 per cent while more than than than-SO 10 3 per cent of pt the operators earne earned per cent cent- pr profits tits PER CENT ADVANCE The recent wage increase a of or 27 pe per per percent cent granted miners rs adds s something something some some some- ething e- e thing less than 40 cents cents' to the cos cosof cost of ot producing producing- a ton of coal coaLs coaL L Lauck uck said Since April 1 when these new rates became effective prices price of ot coal Jave advanced from 75 76 cents cents' t to 2 a ton In other words the coal companies and middlemen will not only reimburse th themselves ms fo for t the e higher Y wages paid but are using this asan an excuse se to o make malte still sun greater ter profits |