Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-06-05
Iantsster f,ltelligenrfr.
rauasDz7 svsNINc. JUNE 6. 1884
Ahaseti Philaaelphla.

Inc pTeSont ueuBue VI eho nh""oi
phia Record Is TO denounce the forces
that are giving dear coal to Philadel-
phIa, where coal should be especially
cheap, because II Is a Pennsylvania pro-
duct and lies close to Philadelphia door,
beyond which It 10 carried by Pennsyl-
vania railroads, for . less price than they
charge for delivering 1t In Pennsylva'
MAS chief city. The Record has struck
good topic for animadversion' some
what stale It Is true, but yet fresh, oe.
cause Of the perennial nature OF
the grievance. The Record puts
the blame primarily on the Reading
railroad company, and secondarily upon
the Philadelphia coal dealers, with
side kick at the Pennsylvania, which Is
no better than the Reading in its dis
elimination, but on the contrary con-
siderably worse, save that 1t does not
control the anthracite coal, and is at
present impor tant only as carrier OF
bituminous, Yet 1t Is this latter coal
which Is the more important Of the two
to Philadelphia's manufacturing indus
tries, being exclusively used in great
quantities in Its iron manufactures
The Philadelphia manufacturers using
anthracite coal do not complain Of its
excessive cost to them In comparison to
its cost In other places, since they have
no reason to do so. The Reading man
agement has always been alive to the
Importance Of helping the manufacturers
along It's line to cheap coal, and 1t has
satisfied their demands. The large users
of anthracite on the Readings lines get
their coal at very reasonable prices.
Il is the Philadelphia householder
and small consumer who pays a
high price, and this Is mainly due to
the fact that they do not buy directly
from the Reading but from second hand
dealers who exact large profit.
The Reading lines have now penetra-
ted the bituminous coal fields and ship
ments will begin this month from the
Clearfleld region over its line. The Penn
sylvauia will then have competition in
delivering bituminous coal to Eastern
Pennsylvania, which 1t has not yet had.
The natuaal result will be such
fall in prices as will give Philadelphia
as cheap bituminous coal as is enjoyed
by more distant cities in other states :;
Buffalo, for instance, which has Penn
sylvania coal carried from jefferson
county. in this state, and by railroads,
too, of the Pennsylvania railroad sys
TEN, for Sl.40 per ton, while Philadel.
phia is charged $3.50 per ton from
Clearfield county, which adjoins Jeffer
son on the east.
The Pennsylvania railroad carries coaI
to Philadelphia for shipment for Sl7C
per ton, and for less when it cannot get
its fixed rate. OF course this is some.
thing of which Philadelphia can reason
ably complain, although it is something
that 1t is quite within its power tc
remedy. The city councils Of Philadel-
phia certainly possess enough power
to control all the railroads which enter
it so far rs to prohibit them from dis
eliminating against 1t in their freight
charges. 1t IS a patent wrong, which
they are fools or knaves to permit and
whether the offender be the Reading or the
Pennsylvania, the hand Of the city should
be laid upon them. The councils have
now appointed a committee to inquire
into this subject, and II il does its duty
it will report that in coal and iron and
other freights Philadelphia is abused by
the railroads of the state. Iron is
carried, for instance, from Pittsburg
to New York for II cents pound while
the charge to Philadelphia is II cents.
From Philadelphia to New York lO
cents is charged, so that Pittsburg iron
pays one cent per hundred pounds for
carriage between Philadelphia and New
York, while the Philadelphia.made iron
pays 10 cents. If that IL not an outrage
on Philadelphia iron manufacturers we
do not know what an outrage is. The
Pennsylvania railroad people admit the
wrong, but aver that they cannot remedy
1t since the competition of railroads out
side the state for through business from
the Mississippi and the lakes compels
them to put down western freight TO a
non.paying figure and that they cannot
afford to put down their local freights II
Pennsylvania in relative proportion. Blu
there is mistake What they cannot il
the long run afford to do, is to discrimi
nate against the industries along thei
line and thus choke them out of exist
ence. 1t is the old story of the goose ant
the golden eggs. The golden egg-layer
for railroads are the manufactures alonI
their lines and these they must protect
The one thing that they cannot afford t
do Is to carry manufactures from of
their lines past factories on their lines
into the markets OF the latter, at prices
which shut them out as any one not a
fool must see from which the deduc
tiCn Is that railroad managers, thOugl
not fools, because they see it, are ye
not wisebccause they do not act unon il
The new Readers.