The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-11-30
THE READING COMBINE.

The Congregational observation-disclosures
that It IS of Great Benefit tothe Public.
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. Nov. 29.-The
congressional committee to investigate
the Reading railroad combine met here
this morning. With the exception OF
Mr.. Lind, all the members OF the com.
mittee were present. Charles F. Beach
was present as counsel for the commit
tee and John D. johnson and ]. D.
Campbell represented the Reading Com
pany. President Mcleod, OF the Read
ing Company. was the first witness.
Nj. Mcleod was questioned principally
by Nj. Beach and that gentleman's line
OF questioning was directed mainly to
discover the traffic rates on anthracite
coal and the effect upon the coal BUSH
ness and the of the monthly
meetings OF the sales agents. Nj.
Beach asked Mr.. Mcleod if at the meet:
ing OF the coal sales agents the prices OF
anthracite coal were fixed and the out
put regulated Tor the month.
Mr., Mcleod said in reply that he had
only attended two meetings OF the sales
agents in person and he knew only in a
general way how the meetings were
conducted. He said that the agents oil
the various roads met TO consult as TO
what amount Of production tho condi-
ton OF trade warranted. Mr.. Mcleod
said that the meetings have no lntiu.
ence on the price of coal. II the head
of the Reading Railroad company did
not consider it to the interests OF his
company to agree to the price fixed by
the coal sales agents at their meetings
he would not do SO. However, he
would generally agree to the price, as
the coal sales agents were men gener-
ally thoroughly posted in their business
and the state OF the market, and knew
what the best and fairest prices should
be.
In answer to a query from Mr.. john
son, Mr.. Mcleod said that il there wa
no concert OF action among the coal
producers the market would become
glutted and it would only be a question
Of a short time when the financially
strong operators would drive the weaker
ones to the wall. The result would be
inc HuVHllCeul6ub VI pAlGC9 W hA5ASA
rate than they are now. Mr.. Mcleod
said that many OF the individual coal
producers in the anthracite regions
were on the verge OF bankruptcy when
he arranged to buy their coal. Another
result Of the lack of concert among the
coal producers would be the lowering OF
the miners wages. The Reading Coal
Company has never, Mr.. Mcleod said,
gotten a reasonable profit in the mar
Iet for its coal and that is what it is
striving to do. Mr.. Beach tried to get
at the rate of traffic for anthracite coal,
but Mr.. johnson intimated that he
wanted the information for use in n coal
suit now pending, in which he Is n oil
the counsel.
Mr.. Beach Indignantly denied this in
situation, but tho chairman, Mr..
Combs, ruled the question out as being
Irrelevant to the inquiry.
The next witness was +. P. Wilbur,
president Of the Lehigh Valley railroad.
MI. Wilbur's examination was short.
He testified that the rate for anthracite
coal transportation were higher than
for miscellaneous traffic, and that there
was more profit in moving the coal.
Like MI. Mcleod, Mr.. Wilbur believed
that the result Of lack Of concert among
coal producers would be disastrous to
small operators.