The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-10-27
THE PRICE OF COAL.

CIRCULAR OF THE PHILADELPHIA AND READING
IT'S EFFORTS TO ADVANCE THE PRICE HAVE
BEEN rHwARTED-INCREAsED RATES TO BE
CHARGED.
PHILADELPHIA. Pa, Oct. &c, 1879.
The following is copy of circular letter ad-
dressed ON Saturday by the President and Board of
Managers OF the Philadelphia aud Reading Railroad
Company to the employees of that corporation and
those Of the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron
Company
The managers had hoped that long ere this the
company would have been able to announce very
price of coal. which the demand justly warrants;
but. though ever since the return OF the president
ne o s nrce en-
coal by the cooperation Of all the COM
panies. it has been found. up to this
assent OF the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company to
any plan of united action or to draw from its
officers expression of their views upon the sub
joct of the coal trade. There be doubt what
that coal might have been advanced 81 per ton
tho lst OF September il all had been willing to ask
the advance price; but landing the demand
the Lehigh Valley Railroad has continued to carry
coal from Mauch Chunk to Perth Amboy. q distance
by its own lines Of LOG miles. and to South Amboy
by the Pennsylvania road. distance of l36
miles. for fifty cents per ton. though double
the more asking The continuance OF this low
rate has enabled shippers via the Lehigh
reship by tho canal Of the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company 60 Philadelphia at lower rates than the
Reading Railroad Company obtains from the mines
to Philadelphia, and i'll conseQ uence OF this fact the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company has been maintain
ing rate of transportation by rail from the Lehigh
coal region to Philadelphia, which is from twenty to
thirty cents per ton less than the Reading Railroad
Company charges from the Schuylkill mines to the
same points, and though the officers of the Penn
sylvania Railroad Company have expressed q will
ngness to advance their rates to Philadelphia when
ever the Lehigh Valley will advance to New York.
aartx fnn thl hava n1 will hon nd
THE DELAWARE AND HUDSON.
In addition to all this, the Delaware and Hudson
Canal Company, which owns coal mines in tho Wy
oming and line of tr importation leading from
thence to the Hudson River has been for several
weeks diverting of its coal from it's own canal
and sending 1t by the Lehigh and Susquehanns
Railroad and tho canal of the Lehigh Coal and Nav-
CATION Company to Philadelphia, and there MAIN
tanning price for it fully 81 below the
market value although by so doing 1t loses
the transportation upon it's own line and realizes
fully nifty cents per ton less than could be
obtained the coal ITSELF and the Lehgh Coal and
Navigation Company. which thus carries the coal Of
u rival its market, receives less than 1t could
have obtained for carrying the coal of its ally. the
Lehigh and Wilkesbarre Coal Company. which has
usually been sent to Philadelphia by the Lehigh
Canal
In the face of all these determined efforts to keep
down prices it has been difficult for the Philadelphia
and Reading Coal and Iron Company and the other
coal companies which were earnestly striving to get
good prices, to advance their rates sufficiently to
justify the payment OF higher wages, aud
hence $3.50 100000 of capital has been receiving
return and over one hundred thousand men have
been deprived of an advance OF wages. Everything
but coal been rapidly increased in price. and 1t
must now be admitted by the most sceptical that
there il overproduction. The failure of the coal
trade to participate i'll tho general prosperity
OF the country can only be attributed to the
persistent efforts TO keep down prices by those
whose official positions alone should have afforded
assurance that they would have been earnest advo-
Gates for fair prices. 1t is certain that had the
operation Of all the companies boon secured ut
timo during the present year fully 81 per ton
COAL or s25ooo,ooo Increased earnings. could have
been realized by the trade, n greater portion of
which would have been distributed rs interest and
dividends upon capital and as increased wages TO
labor.
AN ADVANCE TO BE MADE.
IL is fortunate, however, for all interested in the
trade that the market has reached such -
condition that those who desire to advance prices
safely do so. whether all the others follow or
not and on the LIST OF November the Philadelphia
ana Reading Coal and Iron Company will make
advance OF the prices of coal, and the Phiadc pha
ten cents per ton from Schuylkill Haven to Phila-
dolphia. making the rate ~ 80 per ton. trusting
that the other companies carrying to Phila-
delphia will follow tho advance; but confident
that whether thoy do not the company
dispose of it's entire tonnage at the higher prices.
This advance OF ten cents per ton will raise the min
imum which governs the wages of the employees of
the Coal and Iron Company from twelve to only eight
per cent below the basis and the wages of the
ployes of the railroad company for the month of
November will DO advanced Ave per cent, and In
for every advance of ten cents the of
tolls aud trans portaton from Schuylkill Haven to
Philadelphia between 81 ~ and 49, an additional adj
vance OF five per cent will be made In the wages of
the employees OF the railroad company.