Democratic Sentinel, Volume 10, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 September 1886 — PUTTING UP THE PRICE. [ARTICLE]

PUTTING UP THE PRICE.

Chicago Herald: As long ago as last March, when the anthracite coal c mmittee met in New York and agreed on the output for the current year, it was announced by one of the members that before co d weather came on the price would be advanced $1 per ton. The amount of coal to which the committee limited the people was 33,500,000 tons. To increase the price of this quantity $1 a ton, would be to lev z a tax ot $33,500,000 on the consumerIt may be supposed that the body which has the power to makes, decree of this kind has some official authority, but such is not tba fact. It is made up of the preside); ts, of the various coal roads, viz; Roberts, of the Pennsylvania; Wilbur, of the Lehigh Valley; Sloan, of the Lackawanna; Harris, of tha Lehigh; King, of the Erie; Olyphant, of the Delaware & Hudson; Potts, of the Susquehanna; Tillinghast, of the Lehigh & Western; Hoyt, of the Pennsylvania Coal Company, and Keim, of the Reading. Between them they represent a corporate capital of neary $700,000.000. This is the pariainent which taxes the American people without representation and almost without protest. When it advances the price of coal 25 cents a ton it levies a tax of $8,375,000 upon the consumers of that article. When it limits the production of coal it decrees that the miners in the anthracite region shall remain idle during six months of the year, and, besides that, it says to the people of the country who must be protected from the biting cold of winter that if the demand for coal exceeds the limit which they have fixed the supply is not to be increased but the price is to go up and up until the demand is brought within reasonable bounds.

What do the men who are now putting in their winter supply of coal in the Western States think of it ? Doesn’t it look as though the protective tariff tax of 75 cents a ton should be repealed? An unlimited output of coal would give to the laboring miners continuous employment and a bet. ter living for their families. The repeal of the protective tariff tax of 75 cents a ton would bring about this result; and more —it would reduce the price to the consumer; increase the demand; proportionally increase the supply, and necessarily create employment for an army more of laborers. It would, too, destroy the power of these souleless monopolies to levy an unearned tax upon the consumers of their products. Remember } that every d liar of this 000 will go to swell the already bloated wealth of these few men; not one cent to the the treasury of the Government. Remember that Mr. Owen, in Congress voted to continue this power in the hands of these favored few; voted agaip§t even a consideration of the matter. Spot him at the polls.