A short time ago a coal trust was formed in Chicago under the inconspicuous name of Chicago Coal Exchange. Its office is at 225 Dearborn St., and the president is the coal salesman H. H. H milton; the secretary is a certain W. B. Mather.

The rules of this trust call for minimum prices, under which sales may be made by its members, under penalty, first of a fine, then of loss of membership. These rules are theoretically enforced against all member coal dealers of Chicago, but are in effect practically against small coal dealers only. The big coal merchants who started this trust and manage it do not give a damn about their own rules and sell for any amount suitable to them.

In order not to suffer a loss they deliver orders under weight and seem to flourish on that kind of practice. On a delivery of 50 tons the whole-saler enjoys the maximum safety when sending out two tons less. This procedure is so natural with all Chicago coal wholesalers that it is openly discussed among them.

While this trust might as well not exist as far as the big merchants are concerned, it presses the harder on the small coal dealers, the rules 2being enforced with serious consequences against them. The fines range from $5.00 to $100. In hundreds of cases it has been proved that the wholesalers undersell their trust price but not one ever was penalized. If an agent of a big company sells coal cheaper, the owners decline responsibility and are white-washed by the directors of the trust, and the small merchants in general are too afraid to complain against big companies for fear of having their trade taken away by them. There can not be any doubt that the intention of the trust to sell coal to members only will become realized.