New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-08
ALLEGING DISCRIMINATION IN RATES
PENNSYLVANIA ANTHRACITE PRODUCERS CON
PLANNING OF THE LEHrGH VALLEY ROAD
nrroRg THE STATE COMMISSION.


Washington, Feb. 7.-The hearing in the case OF
Coke Bros q Co., OF Drifon, Pcnn., against the LIZ
high Valley Railroad Company was begun before
the Interstate Commerce Commission h'rs 10 day.
Franklin b. Gowen, Of Philadelphia, appeared rs
counsel for petitioners, and J. V. Darling ana John
q. Johnson for the respondents. Tho p"uionerS
aege that tho railroad company charges mem q
higher rate upon anthracite coal than II charges DINERS
upon bitumnous COAL thereby giving an unreasonable
ADVANTAGE To the shippers and producers Of btamnons
coal They also allege that tho Lchigh Valley Raii-
road Company Is the owner of the stock or and c. n
trolls the business Of tho Lehgh Valley Coal Company
a producer OF anthracite coal, and rival ior the
business of the complaiuans and that the faiirUad
company gives to the coal company discriminating
rates against which the compiainants are unable 70
compete
Fcidev r. Coke. one Of the petitioners, was the
only witness examined at this mornings session.
Anthracite he said, IS heavier than bItumnous coal,
and in handling II tho waste Is greater Anhraci'e
alhedS also, produce on an average much greaer
tonuaVe than bituminous fields. Dir. Coke SAID tna'
WHILE as a rule, the bituminous coal fields were 3oo
niles and upward from tide-wnter, and the anthracite
coal fields but from 100 to lao miles, the competition
OF the former Is driving the latter out OF tho market
for certain uses He said that for tbs last ten years
the TRANSPORTATION rates on soft coal had been grad
naily reduced while anthracite rates had remained
the same.
r. W. sheafer, OF fousvliis, ronn., m'n,pe -,
einser and owner OF coal lands In Schnylnh Conhy
testified that the production OF anthracite Goa
amounted TO some 100000 900 tons, and bitnmlnous
70 so 100000 TONS in the United states during 1855
The cost of mixing anthruciie coal Is from 81 10 "
=, 90. exclusive Of royalty, which 10 an adoiaona
charge OF forty cents Ton, paid TO the and,oWner
He also testified that there was about lVOvy,Ooo
,nns ~ rnim now on the dirt banks IN pennsylvania
that could 10 used for sesnpretnens purposes II. y
he railroads would malr reasonable Iate OF Iflgh
ior he dciyery lie said that from his experience
As mining engineer he was OF opinion me. tneo
VIVA MOI surh difference In anthracite and btumlnouf
"a would warrant any discrimination In the matter OF
tIroree s. Getehel and F. T. Johnson. Of the west
| ern Ncw-York and Pennsylvania Railroad O2mpahy,
| rega,ded mineral freight profitable and desraop
| M The railroads and thought that there shoud pe
M adherence In Tho rates on the TWO hnds et c0a
"' CSorge MerrIwcathcr OF Chicago, the general West
ern agent OF Coke Bros, testified that he had mace
praetloal tests of the comparative weight OF the two
kinds Of COAL and that he had found that entnrace
coal was about per cent heavier than biumlnOus
c cosi Ue said that the cost Of handing bnminous
coal was two cents per ton greater than te COST OF
handling anthracite coal and that ths diherenee wa
| paid 10 the handlers, under Contract