| Show THE cokl COAL COMBINE RAMPANT combines and trusts are about the 0 hardest commercial factors with which the public have to do and illustrate at times with wonderful force and precision how men may not violate any law of man and still be lawless worse I 1 sometime than those who do violate violat statutory enactments in a quiet unpretentious sort of way which leaves no palpable ground for suspicion anil and no possible opportunity for a legal action a few men sometimes get together and by uniting their capital capita and facilities upon some corner of the market chiep has distinctive features in the matter of supply and demand and which everybody mus they just as noiselessly on their part 0 n arol the trade u undo u d 0 ai all I 1 recognized i zed ru rules lee of traffic and ignore every protest threat demand or claim that comes their way there never was a fairer or richer field for the si sinister performances of this gentry than salt gait lake city this having particular reference to the coal business from to 1000 tons a day are consumed by families and business houses bouses every ounce of which to is purchased from one of a half a dozen firms acting jointly with the railroads rall roade there are no other means of getting it and no one can do without it especially at this time of tb the Is year what a steady unvarying market to operate id how sure the sup aly ply how bow certain its disposition and how ow secure the payl pay with such a field of operations people at a distance would look fr f r square dealing and reasonable profit profile on which terms a good living could be made by those engaged in the busi new but those a afi a distance dont know it is computed that at 4 a ton the not net profit to the dealer here would be twenty five per cent providing bets he is creaso reasonably aabey equipped for the traffic fic which all of those spoken of are it does not require an insight into the situation to make commercial men apy anywhere where understand that any businow business in which there are no risks to speak peak of and which yields I 1 e ids such returns to is illegitimate 0 or r else T me there is something bb tb normal in the market but what would he say it if told that even eve n that is not satisfactory to the dealers that they charge thirty per cent more and by means of short measure and worthless stuff mixed with their goods bring the amount which the consumer has baa to pay up about per cent or 8 per toul ton and of course the increase in the price is all profit or nearly so because exacted mostly from shrinkage and worthless trash now when men combine to keep up this his kind of thinie abin are they guilty of nothing at all and when the grand jury takes taken the matter in hand and the m municipal e I 1 government enacts a law nir rau requiring arg at least honest measurements in the traffic if the dealers announce that they will have to advance prices if the ordinance is enforced does it not look very much like a confession of guilt suppose a grocer were called upon by the sealer of weights and measures and notified that his scales were untrue by means of which those who bought a pound of anything only got fourteen ounces or that his gallon measure had shrunk so much that it would hold only seven pints pint and were thereupon to notify the merchant that he be must at once conform to the standard what would he most likely do if an honest dealer he would show that he was in previous ignorance of the shortage express regret that there had been any such transactions in his place of business and proceed at once to not only rectify the wrong but so far as practicable make restitution to those who bad been losers by it if a dishonest dis boneet man he woud complain of the laws arbitrary methods and aind announce that by complying with it be would be com compelled palled to advance his prices cesto to meet the difference in his receipts c I 1 to Is it boteo alphis this is ie all wrong and wrongdoing wrong doing sooner or later brings loss lose and disaster to those who persist in it there can be no reasonable objection to men combining 0 their air means and uniting their force fr for the accomplishment of legitimate enterprises in a lawful I 1 and proper way it is in this manner kanuer ehst the greater business affairs of life which one or two could not create are brought into existence and successful operation whereby everybody to is benefited it is only when such combinations are effected for the purpose of taking advantage in an unfair as well as an illegal manner that the right to com complain p aln is recognized let it not lb oe e supposed u that a rightful complaint coming from a whole people and continued so long as the evil complained of to is practiced will be ineffectual for a great length of time the remedy sooner or later will suggest itself and be applied there to is surely enough of profit in selling coal anywhere lathis in this city at per 2000 pounds without dust or dirt there would be at a dol dollar lar less than that but no matter as to that just now so long as we get what we pay for the question of prices can be do de determined later meantime it would bethe be the part of wisdom to increase the ten tension islon no further if the coal men do as aa other departments of trade do the goose may continue laying golden eggs for a season longer but not beyond that we hope and believe |
