Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-04-15

-.
They Go TO Law.
Is Pennsylvania aud Reading rail-
! nanagen, who have been pretend
f6r . couple Of years back to enter
tpntiments Of the most distinguished
liberation for each other, while try
70 the best Of their ability TO get the
<St of each other, In the railroad
Non, have now fallen at each others
Is The Reading appeals to the law
wotect II from certain agreement
= In 1887, wherein 1t agreed TO sup
The pennsylvania's Schuylkill VAL
soad with million tons Of anthra-
= coal annually for ten years.
oupplied only six hundred thou
IN tons, and the Pennsylvania
ple notified the Reading officials
they proposed to arbitrate the mat
y 6<cording to the terms of the agree
ont. The Reading people declined
kArbitration, well knowing that they
11d not get away from decision
nlnst them, as II was plain case that
~ had not supplied the coal they
X0lUSu 10 IuIutSus hCy utcV nbSW
20 the contract was invalid, neither
III company nor the Pennsylvania
oStng authority to enter intoit. 1t was
agreement whereby two competing
1lruad companies agreed for value re-
1Sod to combine against the public and
(which they agreed further to go into
rcantile business as purchasers and
Am OF coal, contrary to the laws OF
commonwcalth.
There IL no trouble In knocking into
tkcd hat railroad agreement II
nusylvania when one OF the parties
1uts to do 1t. Such covenants are only
Hdtng upon the public and prevail
Alnst the parties only at their pleas
-. There IL always something In their
Ggct history and consideration to de-
10y them when 1t IL disclosed, even
qQgh they appear to be as tight as a
um upon the surface. The poor pub
y never get beneath the surface and
I'VE TO stand the racket until the
l. e)eves fall out and give them chance
: y their docs.
That interesting operation IL appar-
NY about happening now. The Read
~ company is not 90 much the servant
theP Pennsylvania or the other interests
~ were able to take advantage Of It's
Akness couple Of years ago, and 1t Ii
lently disposed now to free itself
- some Of the chains then put upon
lt proposes to smother entirely that
~ and most Improbable child OF the
4nsylvania, the Schuylkill Valley,
~ generally to let no consideration fcr
rival interfere with its-.Vsgent effort
oke care Of itself, and the Pennsyl-
- people are prompted in like
Alon.
- public is likely to profit by the
Mention. There has been entirely too
1nch regard by the companies for their
Qtracts with each other for the public
pod. The rates of both roads have been
I ept up to high figure and competi-
Zen between them had wholly ceased
local illustration of the violence done
~ fairness In the freight charges thu,
ecured, 10 shown by the fact that the
SSote OF the Reading road from Lancaster
% Reading II the same as from Lancas
80 to Philadelphia. The compact he
tween the companies that gave
ech its distinct territory and kept the
5ablic from securing the benefi,
| the competition Of rival lines, has
Sooen closely kept, until lately, when
- first indication Of rupture came with
80 discovery that recent rebate OF
wenty-five cents q ton has been allowed
y the Reading and Beech Greek com.
Anies TO the bituminous coal corpora
80 of the latter road, whereby all other
aAtppers Of coal have been shut Off the
oodipg system and the consumers
(zong its line are furnished their coal at
~ less price than those along the
nes Of the Pennsylvania railroad. The
h3ppen Of coal who have been thus
iqmmariIy dismissed from the Reading
Hes have sought to settle down upon
ennsylvania railroads points, with the
eeult that the price Of coal has been sent
Town on the run. All this is very in
oeesting and agreeable to the consumer
1d the railroad customer. Whatever
|nisfortunes befall the railroads they are
Ire Of having no public sympathy in
hem and the reason is made clear In
ms exposure OF the secret agreement OF
4hese two companies, wherein they un.
nwfully conspired to fleece the public.