Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-09-02
lancaster tntelIigenrer.
To .sDAY EVENING. SEPT, q. 1884.
The Daty on Coal.

The Dnty on Coal.
A correspondent of the Philadelphia
Press, who says he has always been
protectionist, is troubled to justify the
duty on bituminous coal, and says that
II the duty of IS cents ton was taken
of the consumer would reap the benefit
OF II, while as it is the consumer pays
high price, and the miner gets so little
that he has to strike for wage that will
support him and his family. The high
price seems to this inquirer to enure
only to the advantage Of the capitalist
and he wants to know what the Press
has to say about it.
The Press replies in many words and
says little. 1t does not have the cour-
age to say that the duty on coal should
be repealed as useless, II not oppressive,
to the consumer but it maintains that
it does not increase the price of coal to
those who use it. If it does not do this
It is evidently ineffective as protection
to the coal producer he has no
use for a duty that does not
enable him to get a higher price
for his product. 1t is fact that the
duty on coal does him no good at all.
The Clearfeld coal shipper gets from
fifty Eve to seventy.fiv I've cents per ton for
his coal on board cars, selling to large
consumers. The Pennsylvania rail-
road company charges two dollars and
twenty cents for carrying 1000
pounds three hundred and fifty miles
to Philadelphia, and but little
more for carrying it to New
York. The Press says that the coal
costs the New York consumer three dol.
lars and quarter. 1t does not cost any
more than this, and the Boston people
get it for about the same figure. The
further east it goes the closer becomes
competition with Newfoundland Goals
and the water transportation open from
New York and Philadelphia also makes
the railroad companies reasonable in
their tolls. Pennsylvania does not get
the benefit Of her coal production be.
cause the carrying companies charge
high rates for taking it short distances
to Pennsylvania manufacturers, and will
carry it many times the same distance for
about the same price to far off places, to
which they have to charge small tolls to
get the carriage at all. If Pennsylvania
took reasonable care of the great mineral
values which the Almighty has stored
within her territory, she would be the
richest and greatest manufacturing
country IN tho world No state could
compete with her. And she does
not need to enact any uncon-
stitutional, OF unfair or even un-
generous legislation. All she needs TO
do is to require the carrying companies
she has chartered TO carry the minerals
taken from the soil at no greater charge
per mile to places within her borders
than they charge to points without
them. 1t is a simple and just require
ment which she should have long ago
made and has not, simply because the
railroads have dominated her legislation.
The national Congress may come to
her relief by taking the duty from coal
aud opening to her the British coal
fields. The duty operates only to the
advantage of the railroads. The miner
who gets forty cents long ton for
coal and the shipper who gets sixty
cents short ton are evidently not op-
pressing the consumer with their charges 8.
1t is the railroad carrier, who takes three
,11tour times: the value of the coal on
no",. cars at the mines for transport
ing ~ 'o>Se seaboard, who is the oppres
sor. Inc che.-ening of foreign coal at the
seaboard VIII awt the inland carrier.
but cannot hurt ha miner or simmer
who are now workh, at starvat;o,
prices to give profitable e.rage 70 tba
railroads who have them in thss, Mower
The Pennsylvania railroad cSwo.nr
gets fifty dollars for taking car of cs.,
to Philadelphia from Clearfield county !;
whichis uanifestly very profitable car
riage.