Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-10-03
INTI-MONOPOLY.
EsiOn OF the Anthracite Coal
ID in Advancing the Price OF
tpal Creates indignation.
Aiiison Asks the Attorney General
ptnnsylvhnia to Take the Mat
ter into the Courts.

PA, Oct. Gov. Patti
1 addressed a letter to Attorney
ii Cassidy on the action OF the an
Z toal pool, and requesting him to
sasinst IL in the courts. In the
d his letter the governor says;
|tiention has been directed to the
|ithin the past fortnight that certain
|ations chartered by the common
of Pennsylvania, acting In
IL. have ordered two advances
/ prices of anthracite coal.
III been ascertained that the
|a,ions comprise what is
/ as the anthracite combination,
was created in its present form at
|tlnk held In New York city on De-
|ff1, 1884, when there were present
|entatives of the Delaware, Lacka-
b Western Railroad company;
|h|kh Valley Railroad company; the
||6l4hia & Reading Railroad compa-
| 4 New Ysrk, Lake Erie & Western
lad company; the Delaware & Hud-
lanai company; the PENNSYLVANIA
|bmpany; the Lehigh Coal & Navi-
e9inpany, and the Pennsylvania
|af company. At that meeting an
|nent was entered into by which six
|esc corporations were In erect
Ed III writing to restrict the output
|hracite coal. An apportionment OF
|tal prod uction was then allotted 20
|company for the year 'S5 and on
nv last new allotment went into
|tion based on an annual production
|60o,D00 TONS"
Ii feferring to the advance Of 80
Der ton ON the pcice of coal since
|aSt. the governor says: "Recently
Eli he offices OF a syndicate of cap
Is Mere has been strengthening OF
|nthracite coal combination, and
claim Is now made by
of its members that
ban mark up coal prices to any figure
|llesse, thereby subjecting the public
BIZ mercy, injuriously and unwar-
|bly taxing every freside and
E.ssR upon coal consumers their
El4lb which the speculatlons
he of the companies have engen-
although the state constitution
|fes that no corporated company do
|ha business of a common carrier
directly or indirectly, prosecute or
Ee in manufacturing articles for
over its works, yet
or nearly all, of the com
carriers represented in the
|acise coal combination are engaged
|Ely OF indirectly in the mining of coal.
|nnIhracite regions of Pennsylvania
Practically under control Of this com
|i0a. For q long period it has kept
blnef running on three-quarter time,
putting nearly one hundred thousand
|ers oo what amounted to three
|ere pay. BY hindering competition
( restrlcted the development of oul
|ral wealth. 1t has advanced or de
|ied tine Iprice Of coal as best suited
|urposc. 1t has maintained the prices
bal Supplied to line and to city trade
lures ranging more than 81 per tor
md above the price at which 1t sole
|sane article to consumers located
her from the mines, bu
az territory that did no
I Within the terms OF the agreement
Is advanced the charges for trans
|Ation in face Of the fact that the ne
|Ings Of The carrying companies be
|ingto the combination amounted Il
1t 10 per cent. per annum of the cos
Of the roads, and in fac,
Ie Further fact that the charges ar,
|er than they were twenty-six year
though the cost of transportation o
|ht does not to-day amount to NOR
one-third of its cost at that time
Restricting production and by ad
hing prices, it has crippled the vas
Interests, decreasing the demand 70
|rAcite coal in the reduction of irol
|, forcing iron furnaces out of blast
placing nearly ell the industries O
bern Pennsylvania at the mercy OF tn
|agers of these companies"
be Governor also calls attention t
trunk line pool, which he says by 1t
|traly power holds perpetual menac
the material interests of the cour
In closing the governor says
|ainet such combinations the indlvid
Il helpless. The commonwealth {
|nsylranis, in creating corporation
are members Of the anthracite COZ
|binatlon and Of the trunk line poo
|ad Them with the right OF eminent d.
h md other franchises of publ
bte. They owe certain dutie
fnelr creator, and one {
rs is to avoid an infringemeI
"a the rights OF individuals or the ger
well-being Of the state. Their inte
|ncc with the natural current and col
|one of trade has been in violation {
|nd policy and against the best int
Of tle state. 1t pTeiudices the pu'
|and the individuals. 1t is a perversio
he purpose for which they were or,
Il These facts, which have been r
FED to me and measurably authel
|fec, | deem OF sufficient Importance
n to you for your consideration ar
p action as circumstances may wa
[ Is Understood that Attorney-G ener
|sIdy will at once proceed against u
| people, but in what manner he hi
get decided. This is decidedly or
~ most important steps taken by Il
|nsalatration, aud was not decided upC
n ester very careful consideration.
|'hildfen who are troubled with worn