THE COAL VEND.

Bush Advocate, Volume XXIII, Issue 295, 23 December 1911, Page 5

THE COAL VEND.

, HEAVIEST POSSIBLE FINES/jflv FLKJTED. ■••'repress Assn—By telegraph—Copyright SYDNEY, December 22. of the Coal Vend judgment. He convicted all thirty-nine defendants of-the several offences charged agair.rt them, and oi'dtred each to pay a tine of £SOO, - with the exception of the Associated Northern (Jollery, because its individual members were amongst those fined. He also granted an injunction restraining the defendants from a repetition, or continuance of ..the-several offences whereof they were convicted, and ordered del'uulanr,s to" pay. the plaintiffs' costs. •/ - On the application of the colliery proprietors he granted a stay, of proceedings in connection with'the "penalties, pending ail appeal. ' In the; course of his summing up Judge Isacs- referred to the. combination as a gigantic Conspiracy. It was difficult to say how much the public wero being overcharged for , coal, hut the figures indicated that the total, improperly gathered in the united .efforts of the colliery and shipping companies' reached a very high figure, besides the detriment to the public in regard to price, there was the restriction in choice of coal. The Tend and shipping companies ( looked to no one's advantage but tilth* own. This tluy followed up .whereveithey could and to the greatest' possible distance.

' Dekndants • had gathered'; tq > themselves a giant's strfnuth' .and' usecfit, as a giant, not only against the public, but on all wlkj stood, or (ii'leavoure/J t-o stand, between them and the public. The•-tines imposed are the statutory limit and : total-£19,500. '• • '