Jasper County Democrat, Volume 23, Number 58, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 October 1920 — STATE NEWS ITEMS [ARTICLE]

STATE NEWS ITEMS

The Doings of Hoosierdom Reported by Wire. SAYS COAL PRICE IS LIBERAL Gov. Gdodrich Blames Operators for Forcing Him to Fix Cost—Says Owners Do Not Want “Inside Facts’? Made Public.

Cannejton, Oct. 15.—Passage of a law establishing a state coal commission to regulate the Industry in Indiana was brought on by the operators themselves, Governor Goodrich said 1n an address at Leopold, twenty-five miles northeast of here. He added that “it is for the coaj operators of this state to say whether or not it Will be necessarj- to take further steps In order to protect the people.” The governor asserted that ten mines in the state produce one-third of the coal in Indiana; that “many of the operating accounts of the coal companies are padded for the purpose of avoiding the federal income tax;” that in “some fnstanc(>s men are drawing $30,000 to $40,000 a year to manage mines;” that he does not think that any one “connected with the operators’ association wants the inside facts laid before the people of the state,” and that the tinie has passed when a few men can control a great basic commodity like coal and “use it according to their own sweet will without any regard whatever to the public Interest.” Governor Goodrich to part of the state to inspect the road between Cannelton and English, the invitation having been issued by the I’erry County Good Roads association. The governor’s speech was a nonpartisan one. “When the special session of the general assembly met in Indianapolis last July,” said Governor Goodrich, “I was fully convinced that the state faced a real emergency in the coal situation; that the situation then existing placed with the coal operators of the state (hiring this fall

and winter the power to exact hny price they would desire to ettarge for coal. The action of the operators in defying the orders of the state coal commission apd the prices they are seeking to charge for coal in Indiana have settled beyond question the fact that neither the coal operators nor any other group of men can safely be trusted to deal fairly with the public when the fixing of prices is left entirely in their hands, as is the price of coal at the present tkne. “The commlssion_has fixed a price that is liberal an’d under which any mine that has a right to operate can make.a fair profit. “If the operators want to punsue the same publlc-be-damned policy that brought the liquor business to its end and has driven the public to drastic regulatory measures in the control of other business to protect the people from extortion, the responsibility lies with them. The commission has shown a disposition to deal fairly with the operators in the adjustment o/ this matter. They only want coal for the people 'of Indiana at a fair price. This they intend to have if there is power vested in them under the law to require the operators to furnish the coal.”