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Show How It Strikes an Operator. A coal operator who was at the capltol to-day entered Into an explanation explana-tion of why coal Is high, and aB his statement seems to confirm somo public pub-lic suspicions, It Is worth printing as he gavo It. His mlno Is In Ohio. Somo days ago tho company of which ho Is a part agreed to sell tho product at tho mlno at $1.95 a ton. Ho was sitting in his office, when several coal dealors appeared. Instead of asking his prlco a ton, one of them exclaimed In a bold eager voice: "I will glvo you for prompt delivery 4 a ton. Anothor In terrupted quickly: "I will offer $4.50." Still another Jerked out nervously, raising his volco to tho highest pitch: "And I bid f5 a ton." Thus by overbidding over-bidding they carried the cost prlco up to noarly 300 per cont ovor tho original price tho operator had llxod. Tho consumer con-sumer was only considered as a man to bo supplied as rapidly as posBtblo at oxhaltcd prices. Now York Tribune |