, 1873-06-30
ILLINOIS C0AL-TRhDE.
How It Will 30 Affected by the
Now Railroad Law.
Letter from Chicago Miner and Dealer.
From the Springfield tr7t., Journal.

From the Springfield tiny journal.
Tho following communication, which Booms to
bo Of much Importance, ns showing how THO now
Railroad law will Affect tho coal buBinoHB Of tho
State, has boon received by tho Railroad and
Warehouse Commissioners:
Ths Hon. II, n Cook, ITesient Railroad and N'are-
house Comn,fasfonera:
DEAN Bln. T,loro Hoomn to bo 30 many Differ
ent versionH or constructions Of tho Nailroad
law that gooa Into operation July I, touching
Its conditions. powers, roQulroments, etc., and
such m uncertain feeling oxfsts Among tho
bupinoas community touching this mntter, !
therefore, M one Of tho class who. from proscnt
appearances, Is to be most seriously affected by
,ts operation, appeal to yon, who haye made
this matter n atudy, for an opinion thnt will
guido mo In this dilemma.
I mn engaged III coal mining on the limo Of tho
Chicago, Rook Island t. Pacific Railway, ono
hundred milea from Chicago and ctghty-two
from Rock Island. In 1967-8 tho buniness be-
gnn to inoreaso and dcvelop to Buch au o1tent
that this Company could NOT as oil times furnish
canhiug considerable trouble among parties In
terested. This, together, with tho delays Incl.
don't to the bnaneBB, tho officers Of the road
thought TO overcome by inducing the coal opera
product Of their nnee, and made tho following
proposition: Tint tho conl companion put on
cars sufficient to transport their coal, keeping
tho aAme In repair without e1pense
snoaia Id porfon aoa sIp vn5tro S'1
ing and unloading the Same; should make no
demand for shortage, that said road would, III
addition. to tho ordinary track or oar service,
special rates and privileges, as paTt oomponsa-
tion for tho largo Investment required.
THIS proposition we accepted, and accordingly
a special freight tariff vas mado, undor which
1868 having boon made. Since this time our
business has boon conducted on cars uoither
owned nor controlled by the railroad, and now
aggregating noarly 40, 0oO tons per annum, most
OF which 10 handled without expense to the road,
except for motive power.
iays recently boen notified that from and
after July next, my ratios to Chicago VIII DO
advanced 300 Per ton, and to, other points
back Or rebate allowed Viii bo tic small
tom Of car service. II this matter Is enforced
my work must oloso. In them hayo lndiyidu-
ally invested considerably over et00, 900, and to
It has taken years to collect q eot Of workmen
mho thoroughly underBtand and can operate this
mino, which, being about 400 foot deep must ho
operated dnily or water and gases will soon ut
serly destroy 1t.
Tho price Of coal at the principal markets Of
tho stato will not bo advanced by tho general In
crease OF rates, because none aro entlroly de-
pendent upon Illinois coal for supply; hence
It will be impossible for this article to come into
market boaring this oxtra burden. for II no pro
will be Affected, Tor their products must seek
markets of largo consumption, local demand in
no case being yet sufficient to oonRumo the pro-
duct OF oven works Of amau capacity.
This coal interest requires largo association
Of capital to rondor 1t productive, and it's dovel-
opmont ia absolutely necessary to tho stimulation
Of manufacturing enterprises. and cannot boz
Ieve thai 1t was tho intention OF tho frnmora Of
this lav to 80 seriously ombarrasa ono Of the
groatoss industrial enterprises within tho borders
Of our State.
The construction p1ncod upon this act by tho
railroads, l understand to be that they have no
discretion In tho matter that pro rata rates
must apply to all Irrespective Of any heretofore
caaes az mine, carry with II large Increase !:
that while the officers Of this road arc satiB-
fed with tho ratos now oxiHting, md which
thoy would bo willing to continuo-yet, undcr
the YerHion OF tho law aa now rendered, dare
not. Ono thing is certain, the railroads havo
given the correct Interpretation to the Low, or
.thoy have not pro rata rates in my caHe means
= materiI advance or it does not, To mo, tlis
ia Of vital Importance, to benr this additional
burden and 60 into market in competition with
others moro fayorably located ia impossible, for
1t must not be forgotten that in 8 contiguous
State arc largo coal fields, and to reach this
point but few miles of transportation in this
State is required md claim that any act tend-
ing to cripple great industry or bear with great
severity upon public enterprise, is of itseH
inoperatiyo.
understand o conference Is coon to bo
held by your board with officers Of tho differ~
ent railroads Of this State, whom hope this
1nattor will be thoroughly canyassod and some
cannot believe that mine Is an isolated caae,
and wo look to you who arc delegated to tutor-
pret aud enforce the law's provisions for an OK"
preston that will aottlo andquot this public ull-
easinoas. roman very rospe9tf91lyS, 9 S,enn,,r etc,
No. scs Indiana nyonue,