Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-09-12
NOT BUYING BOATS.
A Significant Sign of the Times Down
Along Water Street,
CONFIRMING THE COMBINATION.
Stories About the Wealthy River Coal
Operators in this City.
WHAT is THE FUTURE FOR CONSUMERS

The filing of inventories goes on among
the river coal operators, preparatory to the
huge and simultaneous sell-out What Will
consumers do when this Boston syndicate
gets all the coal in the vicinity of Pittsburg
into its hands? was the question discussed
by some business men on Penn avenue the
other evening.
Said one: "There can be but little doubt
the combine will be effected, and even Com
modore Walton will listen to the song. He
has good deal OF flesh to carry about, and
while he may not sell nor join the syndicate
absolutely, he will be willing to profit by
its operations if he can do so without so
much hustling as is necessary for him and
his partner these hot days."
Said another: 81 know that Horner &
Roberts are making a complete inventory of
everything they have gotten in the coal
mining and trade way, even down to the
number of lashings on their boats and the
pounds to the yard of rails of their coal rail-
ways. They are not that particular in an
ordinary taking of stock. It's going to take
about SIC, 900, 900 to effect the combine, but
Boston is rich and it has no further outlet
for its cash In old channels. Government
As are not worth buying at the premium de-
manded, and they will get less and less
valuable each year as they approach time
of payment.
QUIT BUYING BOATS.
Still another man said: 81 have known
for some time, knew it months before I
heard of the dicker between our coal opera
tors and the Boston people. Something was
in the wind, because 1 saw coal operators
were not buying coal boats to any extent
worth speaking of. 1t was evident to nv
mind that there was a contingency of some
kind expected, and they did not propose to
be burdened with stock on which there
might be depreciation. 1t is true there
were some coal boats sold, but at $500 in
stead OF $500 each, and where transactions
took place on this basis it was a case of
must on both sides. ~
Chorus - "But if the combination is
effected. what will the consumers do then?
Poor thingsl''
The meeting soon decided that this was
the most easily solved problem of all pro-
pounded-the consumers might take
another reef in their clothing to accommo-
date their decreased stomachs. The combi-
nation would be like that of the Standard
Oil Company and would regulate price of
fuel to suit itself. The consumer of natural
gas might find that kicking against meters
was Kicking against the pricks, and would
soon give over TO nurse his bruised heels.
In TACT, some seemed to think that the allie
gorical serpent said to have invaded
Eden was nothing more nor less than
the great monopolistic anaconda that
seems likely to reach its full development
in this century. 1t is heel bruiser.
There were others, however, in the gath
erIng who thought the combination might
not increase the cost of fuel; in fact might
possibly lessen it in order to squeeze out
small operators, and keep them out lust as
few omnibus stores in city kill out no.
tion dealers, gents furnishing goods dealers,
shoemakers and small dealers, hatters. etc.,
by doing business on scale on which 3 |
per cent net profit equals 100 per cent on |
small individual operations.
WHERE IT WILL PAY. !
Again it was argued that coal could be |
produced much cheaper by the combination |
than at present. For instance, fewer SUPER |
intendents would be needed, and in this |
item alone there would be a saving of |
S75, 900 year, fair income for even coal |
king; and it was supposed that savings of |
this sort might run into hundreds of thou
sands of dollars.
To an unsophisticated person up tree. it |
seems strange that an aggregation of talent
and capital like that represented bv the
Pittsburg coal trade would for moment
think of supinely surrendering the reins
and giving up the struggle to a COM
bine. 1t is argued that even the
Boston syndicate cannot fight the English
trust of Alabama and Tennessee below
Memphis, even though the former secure
control of the Kanawha country, which. of
course, it will do. 1t then follows that
Pilttsburg and all the cities on the Ohio
and upper Mississippi and Missouri rivers
combined with the discharge of many nen,
must contribute to the profits of the syndi-
cate. 1t isn't likely the Alabama and Ten
nessee combine would attempt to send coal
to Cairo or Louisville, so those towns, with
their more northerly neighbors, would be at
the mercy of the Northern combine.
Is it said that dam below the strap" at
Sewickley, one below Beaver shoals, and a
canal from the north of the Beaver to Lake
Erie, CAPABLE of floating deep water craft,
can all be constructed for less than $40, ,0O0,-
600, and this improvement would add two
months year to the navigation of the Ohio,
as the principal troubles of navigators lie
between here and Smiths Ferry.
1t is possible that the shadow of S10,OOO,-
900 is SO somber as to frighten away all the
Pittsburg capital interested? To await Gov
ernment action is like awaiting the mil
lenium, which has set so many people crazy
in the last thousand years. 1t isn't Colonel
Sellers, but common sense, that says there
are millions for Pittsburg in canal to
Lake Erie.
min M SUSpIrInV