The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-07-29
THE comBrSArIov rorrERINo.
Tho Iehish Companv's Action that may Re-
suit In Cheaper Coal.

Popr RrCHMo Nd, Pa, July 2S.-For somo
time there has beo n trouble between the Lehigh
Valley Railroad Com pany and the other corpo-
tations composing the coal combination regard
Ing the excessive production OF anthracite coal
by the former company. The last weeks pro-
duction OF the co mpany was over twenty-three
per cent, which is much above the percentage
allowed by the Ring. At a late meeting Of the
combn ,tion 1t was resolv ed that as the Lehgh
Valley Railroad had, up to the FIRST CT the MONTH
exceeded It's quota Of shipments to the seabOard
BY $4,000 tons the companies composing the
com binatlon should be relieved from all rocog
milton Of the terms OF the agreement governing
the orQaniga' ion In the future This very Inn
portant determination has just been toiIowel
by another meeting Of operators in the Lehivh
region at which 1t was decided that II the lie
high Company continues what has boon Done
the past month. II must go out OF the poor, aiu
suffer the restrictions OF IT. co tr me Vtci ,o
other lines Of the combination that VIII fvlloW.
A lively fight has been In progress iot
long time between the magnates oi the
Philadelphia and r. aiding Lehigh ana W likes
barre, Delaware, Lacklwanna ana western,
and Delaware and Hudson COM mics Ior
entire control OF the coal fields OF Pennsylva-
MIA and il is admitted, by those supposed to be
thoroughly posted. that the present dissension
Will soon end ~ complete suhasn W b ,nJ so
President Of the Lehigh Valley Company, ap-
pears to be rather careless as To what the mon.
opolists may do, and 1t is already reported that
the wholesale price Of Lehigh coal at the ship
ping point, Mauch Chunk, Is about to be lowered
This decrease Is In direct opposition TO the die.
tates OF the combination, which has announced
that prices will be elevated fifteen cents per ton
In August, with a still further advance In the
following months un'i December. II Is under
Itood in the trade that some OF the larger sizes
OF Lebigh coal will fall as low as az and 80 a
ton.
The lawlessness that usually prevails In the
suspension period In the middle aud nor hern
coal fields has increased. Accounts from
Shenandoah, Tamaqul, Mahnnoy Plane, Dark
Corner, Shamokin, and elsewhere tell Of disor.
ders and bloodshtd. At Frackve, Schuylkill
county, Miss Mary Meredith. the pOstmistress,
has often received diabolically illustrated
" conn notices." warning her to quit the town.
To these she paid no attention. ON Tuesday
evening she was shot. All that IS known about
the otime Is that the shot was from the direction
OF the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad.
About the same time John Mcneil was muir
dered at Branchtown.
The miners In the Monongahela district hav-
ing been Informed by the operators that shut
down Of work, to allow Improvements to be
made In the various works, would soon 60 into
effect, and consequently deprive many Of them
OF employment Tor some time, have held secret
meetings throughout the regions, and, as was
expected, struck not only against the operators
proposition, but also for an Increase OF wages.
AS the operators are unwilling to accede to the
miners demands, the suspension has become
almost complete, there being but three mines
open,