The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-05-24

The Latest Conspiracy to Force Up the Price
of Coai-IIow II AGccts Reading.

PoTrsvILLE, Pa, May 22.-1he announce
ment Of Mr.. Gowcns assent to "A suspension OF
mining operations for one month. from Juno
10 to July Is, struck the people in the coal re-
gions like n thundcrbOlt. Ever since IT became
known that Mr.. Gowcn had to be telcgraphcd to
before the matter could be decided, the general
opinion here was that he would refuse to Join I;
though with most people the wish was father to
the thought The very fact that his assent had
to be asked first, and that the board Of manage
ment Of his company declined to at indcprn-
IDENTITY. was taken as evidence OF weakness. 1t
certainly shows tnat the other members of the
board are mere puppets who dance to his wlis-
tie. and there is. therefore. no danger Of shoot
ing wide Of the mark by fastening upon him
the responsibility Of the present straitcncd con-
dition OF the corporation.
When the last combination broke Mr.. Cowen
pledged his word that he would never enter an
other. Yet here he is a party to a combination
Of the very worst kind. because the intention Of
It is TO raise the price Of coal to the consumers
and entail still greater misery upon the people
OF the coal regions at the very time when it will
strike them hardest Nor IL it the intent on to
give the miners particle Of the benefit of Il
possible rise Of the price Of coal. although the
wages they are earning now do not enable them
to live deccntly. All the benefit will be- gobblcd
up by the corporations. But there need be- no
rise in cOul IL tho consumers are w.s". Tho
production 50 far this year tx 30 mu ~ in adj
vance OF any former year that one month aus
pension cannot make "a perccptlhle impress
upon the market ana they dare hardly run me
SIX IT confirm NJ the susp beyond that
time. in the iacc OF the present condition of the
working masses. who. notwithstanding con-
tnuai work Tor the iast four months. have
reached the limit Of human enduran 90, Their
earnings. despite hard work. hav" not suillepd
90 buy them the necessuries OF HE, and the
.iureScepors have reached u point when they
cannot give credit. Murmurs Of dis 'Oit"nt are
secretly made All this while the lahprrrs still
have work. What will be the situation with
0n1lO men ~" Tor month. and most OF them
But what elfeet VIII this have upon the Phlm-
delphia and Reading Cpnpanyf TIE SuN has
already shown hOweNp"nsiVci II Is to- Keep mines
idle when there IL great outlay and no return.
This is the second reason WHY Mr.. GoW"n did
not assent 10 "A two months suspension. and
competent judges are OF the opinion that the
company cannot stand even one month. so soon
alter the heavy loss entailcd 10y the recent strike
OF the engineers.
There is u bare possibility that Mr.. Gowen
may persuade the British bondholdrrs to CON
h. may keep the concern uiioat for that length
Of time, AMI trust to look 20 Keep II from TIE
breakers aitcrward. By that time the Reading
Company VIII know HIM no NOR" AZ III Prcsi-
dent. and what matters II 70 him ia whose hands
til bubble hurstsl
The edict has gone forth. The consumers are
10 br further reduced. that the coHl concerns may
b. able e. meet the int rest on their enormous
Dts. THIS may do for some or all OF the other
con ems. but II Will never do for the Reading
Company. The trap WIS set for G W. u. and.
notwil standing his boosted smartn.ss. lac has
Can Judge Packcr adhere to tho compact? He
has repeat dly declared that his chart 4 does
tme. II the Individual operators along ms
lines. who ar" not parties to this compact, hni,
decide &! work on. ne cannot reiutr {" ship
th"r coal without suni"cilng himself - prose-