The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, July 12, 1917, Page 9

o e etmaennns These pictures give some indication of the vast crowds that turn out to Nenpartisan league meetings and picnics in the country. They are of the big Carrington meeting June 19, 1917. In the upper picture O. M. Thomason is seen speaking at the right. toward the speakers’ stand, which can be seen in the background. ‘Near Treason” of Baker et al Secretary of War Not Satisfied With $200,000,000 Disgorging by ‘Patriotic Coal Barons”---Daniels Says OW much extortionate profits are the coal barons really making? Two weeks ago the Kl bituminous coal operators confessed that they had been making extortionate profits amounting to $200,000,000 a year. After a confer- ence with Secretary of the Interior Franklin K. Lane and other govern- ment officials the coal barons “volun- tarily” reduced their prices from $1 to $5 per ton, to make an average price of $3 at the mine, with a further 50- cent reduction on government purchases. These reductions amount to a cut of $200,000,000 in the nation's present’ coal bill. By making these reductions the coal operators admitted that their prices were extortionate. But when the coal operators came before Secretary of War Newton D. Baker, who: is head of the national council of defense and told him of their “patriotic” action in fixing new prices, Baker said, in effect. “All bosh! Your prices are still too high, away too high, You'll have to come down again.” So if the coal operators were able to reduce their prices $200,000,000, and their prices are still too high, how much extortionate profits ‘are they really making? USE “SELECTIVE DRAFT” FOR COAL, SAYS DANIELS Members of the president’s cabinet are making an earnest effort to reduce the swollen war profits of the coal barons. This effort started when coal prices started to soar in earnest, this spring. The coal production committee of the council of defense started investigat- ing. Secretary Lane is chairman of this committee. The coal barons said that high prices were caused by scar- city. Lane investigated and found that more coal was being produced every month, and still prices were going up. Lane called the coal operators ‘to (Wa;sl\:ingeton and told them what he had found. Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels, who buys thousands of tons of coal for the navy, also had a talk with them. This is what Secre- tary Daniels said, as reported in the Official Bulletin, the official news- paper published by the government to give out all news in relation to the war: “Secretary Daniels told the gathering that the selective draft . or man power had been imperative and that the selective draft of every other kind of power was just as imperative. ‘No man owns an oil well or a coal mine, except as trustee,” he said; ‘and if this war The lower picture is taken over the heads of the crowd Nobody “Owns” Oil or Coal goes on long, no man can say that he owns a gallon of oil or a ton of coal’.” This was pretty straight talk, It sounded almost like the plea of Presi- dent Townley of the Nonpartisan league for conscription of wealth along with conscription of lives. But the coal barons didn't call Secretary Daniels a traitor and propose that he be hanged. They weren't in a position where they could do it very well. BAKER BELIEVES IN PUBLIC OWNERSHIP They said they would be good dogs and reduce the price of coal $200,000,- Vrooman on Nation’s Food Supply Carl Vrooman, assistant secretary of agriculture, upon his return recently from a tour through the middle west, paid his respects to the food speculator. Mr. Vrooman said: “Everywhere I have found a grow- ing feeling that there must soon come a reckoning with these manipulators ‘of the nation’s food supply. Four classes of men are vainly trying to postpone that day of reckoning. “First, the impractical theorists who on principle are so opposed to an in- crease in the authority of the federal government, however temporary, that they would rather risk the safety of the nation that to sacrifice their theory on the altar of national effi- ciency. “Secondly, the fana.tical pacifists who are unwilling to take any steps that will make this government into an efficient war machine even after war has been thrust upon us by the great- est and most relentless military power the world has ever seen. “Thirdly, those sordid, unscrupu- lous denizens of the business jungle who in this decisive world &£onflict be- tween democracy and depotism are intent upon only filling their own PAGE NINB pockets with the price of economic treason to the republic and the blood money of the hungry men, women and children. “Fourthly, the enemy within our gates, disloyal American citizens who with treason in their hearts and a lying pretense of loyalty on their lips are seizing on every trifling defensive legislation as a pretext to a bitter op- position to everything that will help us to a quick and decisive victory. “Unless something is done imme- diately—not in six months or a year, but now—there undoubtedly will be serious trouble in this country, trou. ble far more dangerous than small bread riots in New York.” — LOOK OUT, HERBERT Herbert C. Hoover declares that the food gamblers have been robbing us at the rate of fifty million dollars a month for the past five months. Mr, Hoover had better be careful or we shall sic the Home Guards on him for treasonable talk. Any man who ques- tions the patriotism of profit is a dang- erous chara.cter4ERISCOPE. FAR- GO, N, D\ 000 a year. Secretary Lane who met with them, made a speech, praising them for their “patriotism” in making this “voluntary” reduction, and every- thing was merry as a wedding bell. That is, everything was merry until Secretary Baker heard about it. Baker is a young man who is a thorough believer in public ownership. He had training in Ohio under Tom Johnson and other public ownership advocates. He knew what bjg profits Big Business was making in the coal business and the street car business and other private businesses. Also he had some special insight into the coal business, because he had been making 8ome investigations of his own. Baker issued a statement rejecting flatly the proposed prices of the coal men and declaring in so many words that when the government got ready to get its coal supply prices must be reasonable, based on the cést of pro- duction, and not based on the biggest profits that the coal barons think the government will stand for, MUST GIVE UP ALL THE EXTORTFION The -attitude of Secretary Baker has caused a little rift in the president's cabinet, since Secretary Lane partici- pated in the conference with the coal men. In view of the fact that Secre- tary Lane first started the movement for a reduction of prices there is no. ground for thinking that he has been trying to pla.y the coal men’s game. It évidently is merely a case of the wool being pulled over Lane's eyes. When the coal men.told him that they were willing to forego profits he took them at their word, believing that a $200,- 000,000 reduction was not to be sniffed aty | - But if Sefretary Baker is right, the $200,000,000 is only a small part of the extortionate profits that "the coal barons have been making, and Baker proposes to see that they give up, not a part, but all of the pig. 1