Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-10-03
PERNICIOUS MONOPOLY.
Governor Pattson Deals the Anthracite Coal
Pool a Blow.
A LETTER TO ATTY GEN'L CASSIDY
A Monster Corporation Sucking the Life
Blood
FROM HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS

HARRISBURG, PA.-Governor Pattison
has addressed letter to Attorney Gener-
al Cassidy on the action of the Anthracite
Pool and requesting him to move against
it. In the course of his letter the Govern
or says:l"My attention has been directed to
the'fact within the last fortnight that
certain corporations chartered by the COM
wealth of Pennsylvania, acting in concert
have ordered two advances in the prices of
Anthracite coal.
1T has been ascertIined upon inquiry
that these corporations comprise what is
known as the Anthracite Coal Combina-
ton, which was created in its present form
at a meeting held in New York city,
December 3lst, 1886, when there
were present representatives, of the
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western
Railroad Company, Lehigh Valley Railroad
Company, Philadelphia and Reading Rail
road Company, New York, Lake Erie and
Western Railroad Company, Delaware and
Hudson Canal Company, Pennsylvania
Coal Company, Lehigh Coal and Navigation
Company, and the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company. At that meeting an agreement
was entered into by which six of these cor
porations were in effect pledged in writing
TO RESTRICT AND REGULATE THE PRO-
DUCTION
of coal and to maintain and advance its
price. An apportiOnment of the total
production was then allotted to each
company for the year 1885, and on July l,
1886 a new allotment went into opera
tion, based on an annual production of
33, 500, 900 TONS"
After referring to the advance of thirty
cents per ton in the price of coal since
July ., 1886, the Governor says: Re
Gently through the officers of a syndicate
of capitalists there has been strengthen
ing of the anthracite coal combination and
the claim is now made by some of its
members, that they can make up coal
prices to any figure they please, thereby
SUBJECTING THE PUBLIC To THEIR MERCY
iniuriously and unwarrantably taxing
every iiresde, and imposing upon coal con-
sumers the financial burden which the
speculatiOns of some of these companies
have engendered. Although the state
constitution declares that "No corporated
company doing the business of a common
carrier, shall directly or indirectly prose-
cute, or engage in mining or manufacturing
articles for transportation over it works
N,t nj lu oil of n IN
ers represented in the anthracite
coal combination are engaged
directly or indirectly in the mining
of coal. The anthracite regions Of the
State are practically under the control of
this combination. For long periods it has
kept the mines running on threc-quarter
time, thus putting nearly one hundred
thousand workers on what amounted to
three-quarter pay. BY hindering compe-
titon it has restricted the development of
our mineral wealth. 1t
HAS ADVANCED OR DEPRESSED
the price of coal as best suited
its purpose 1t has maintained
the prices of coal supplied to
line and to city trade at figures ranging
more than one dollar per ton over and
above the price at which it sold the same ar
ticle to consumes located further from the
mines, but in territory that did not come,
within the terms of agreement. Ii ~assF
advanced the charges for transportation in
face of the fact that the net earnings of the
carrying companies belonging to the COM
binatiOn amounted about 10 per cent per
annum OF the cost of the roads and their
equipment, and of the further fact that
charges are
HIGHER THAN THEY WERE
twenty-six years ago, though the cost of
transporting q ton of freight does not to-
day amount to more than one-third of its
cost at that time. By restricting produc-
tiOn and by advancing prices, it has Grip
pied vast.iron interests, decreasing the de-
mand for anthracite coal in the reduction
of iron ores, forcing iron furnaces out of
blast and placing nearly all the indus
tries of Eastern Pennsylvania at the mercy
of the managers of these companies"
The Governor also called attention to
the trunk line pool, which, he says, by its
arbitrary power holds
4 PERPETUAL MENACE
over the material interests of the country.
In closing the Governor says: Against
such combinations the individual is help
less. The commonwealth Of Pennsylvania
in creating corporations that are members
of the anthracite coal combination, and of
the trunk line pool vested them with the
right of eminent domain and other fran
chises of public nature. They owe GER
tain duties to the creator, and one of these
is to avoid an infringement upon the
rights of individuals or the general we'll
being of the State. Their interference
with the natural current and conditions
of trade has been in violation of what is
believed to be sound public policy, and
AGAINST THE BEST INTERESTS
nf the State ItpreiudiceS the public and
oppreSSes individuals, It is perversion Of
the purpose for which they were created.
These facts, which have been reported TO me
and measurably authenticated, deem Of
sufficient importance to refer to you for your
consideration, and such action as the cir
cumstances may warrant.
1t is understood that Attorney General
Cassidy will at once proceed against the
coal pool, but in what manner he has not
vet decided. This is considered one of the
most important steps taken by the State
| Administration, and was not decided upon
until after very careful consideration.
DOWN IN PRESTON.
/