The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-12-04
THE COAL QUESTION AND THE DUTY
OF CONGRESS-,

from the ". Y. Times.
Very soon after Congress meets it will be
called upon to take into consideration the
popular grievance in regard to coal. New
England, New York, and New Jersey are at
issue with few mining and railroad corpo-
rations who, by keeping the market at an
eXorbitant rate, are able to obstruct indus
tries, and to add another to the many ills
which the poor have to bear. Where the
duty of our representatives lies is clear. The
question is whether they will allow themselves
to be overridden by those corporations, and
induced to refuse a measure of justice i'm
peratively demanded. The case is apeculiarly
hard one from double point of view. New
England New Jersey, and this State depend
necessarily for their anthracite coal upon the
mines of Pennsylvania. But the same capi-
talized influence controlling both mines and
the railroads by which their product is dis
tributed, the price to consumers is kept by its
action at rate which constitutes a severe
burden. At the same time the Atlantic coast,
which has within reach supply of bituminous
coal, at a reasonable first cost, is deprived of
that supply by a tax which is at once impolitic
and unjust. The tax is upheld that the mines
may charge for the coal an unfair price, and
that the railroads may grow richer by carrying
it at charges which are beyond all reason
The producing cost of ton at the pits
mouth (say at Mauch Chunk is about ST. 'S5,
to which may be added few cents more for
| commission and so forth The New Jersey
Central Railroad charges $3 ton for freight
to Elizabeth, making the total cost there
about So But the cargo price at Elizabeth
| is, or was a few days ago, $3.50 ton for
lump, stove, and steamer coal. We see here
the enormous profits gained by the mining
| and railway companies, and the consequent
| hardship inflicted upon the public Of
course the Atlantic coast, which asks for the
use of Nova Scotia coal, but is denied, fares
much worse, on account of its greater dis
| tance from the mines. And the example
| given applies to the Reading Railroad also,
| which charges S2'5S ton for the ninety
miles between Port Carbon and Port Rich
mond. On the other hand, the Ohio and
| Baltimore Road, a much more expensive one
| as to working from the steepness of its
grades, carries coal from Cumberland to
Locust Point, more than double the distance
Of that between Ports Carbon and Richmond,
| for $3.50
The mining corporations have been en-
abled to produce these results by system
of regulating the market and by producing
strikes, suspensions, and every possible
means of alarming the public, and the rail-
roads have abetted them. Not only have
they done this, but by studious misrepresen-
tations both have created the impression
that the supply was unequal to the demand,
and that prices must still go higher The
consumers, however, or all of them who
could do so, refused to 'lay in stocks" in
obedience to these alarInist cries, end the
truth becomes understood that only is the
supply equal to, but largely in excess of
popular requirements. 1t is to be hoped
that this abstinence from purchase will be
persisted in. There seems, indeed, no
reason why, in a very large number of cases,
the system of laying up the winters supply
may not altogether cease At all events the
time has come when Congress must look the
matter square in the face, and see how far il
is justified in preserving tax on Nova Scotia
coal, which Injuries the iron manufactures of
the Atlantic seaboard, which operates with
unfair preference in favor of tho Pennsylva-
mia iron manufacturer, and which enables the
coal interests to impose upon the poor, and
obstructs every industry which depends upon
coal for its working. The railroad monOpo-