Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-03-04
THE READING DEAL INQUIRY.


Attorney General Henssi Hears Counsel
and Takes tho Case to Consider.
HARR1sBuRe, March 3.-The hearing in the
Reading deal was opened to-day ss noon by
Attorney General HenseL Neither Pow
derby, Cassatt, nor any representatives OF
the Pennsylvania Railroad were present.
A. A. Mcleod. President and General Man
ager Of the Philadelphia and Reading Com
pany, was present. as were also many OF
the leading officials OF the railroads in.
terested in the combine. The Philadelphia
and Reading Railroad was represented by
John G. johnson. Thomas Hunker and James
D. CAMPBELL; the Lehigh Valley by Henry 8.
Baker, J. F. Gowan and N. =. Olmstead; the
New Jersey Central by Richard Dale, Samuel
Dickson. The leases Of the New Jersey
Central and Lehigh Valley railroads were
presented to the Attorney General by coun-
sci with request that they be not given out
for publication.
Mr.. johnson presented maps showing the
lines OF the different railroads controlled by
the combine. Attorney General Hensel said
the substance Of the complaint that had
reached his office was that these roads were
direct competitors, and that there was q vio-
lation OF the Constitution. He invited any
person VINO felt aggrieved by the combine
to present their side Of the matter. NJ.
johnson said the roads expected that there
would be somebody present who would do
counsel be allowed to retire few minutes
to con er as to what course to pursue. After
brief consultation Mr.. johnson asked that
show that the Constitution had not been
violated.
Mr.. johnson said this was not case in
which it was necessary to secure the inter-
vention Of the Attorney General. If any
private citizen feels that the law is viola ted
he can get his redress in the courts. Mr..
johnson said that during the whole year at
tidal points there has been q steady price OF
ID to 10 cents per ton less than the price of
coal in Pennsylvania. This state Of affairs is
not beneficial to the Commonwealth. This
move Of the Reading Company is to elemi-
nate the middle man. He contended that
this case was not parallel to that of the
South Penn and Beech Creek railroads.
+ Mr. johnson said there has not been COM
1ehigh Valley and the Susquehanna Rail.
road, which is the leased line in this State Of
the New jersey Central.
Samuel Dixon, Of counsel for the New
Jersey Central Railroad, followed Mr.. john
son. He said the leases that they held were
secured three years before the present con-
stitution went into enect, and contended that
there was competition between all OF the
roads in the combine.
A sensation was sprung by Matthew Long,
of Hazelton, who had come in after the
hearing commenced. He presented q petit
tion, numerously signed by residents Of his
vicinity, imploring the State to take action.
He then spoke as follows; II cannot speak
as lawyer; I am simply a miner, and repre-
sent great mass Of working people The
coal business in our vicinity amounts to
500 900 per month, and if the State takes no
action the combine means ruin to hundreds.
Iassert that the Constitution has been vio-
lated" Mr.. Long instanced other general
facts but said he had not expected to speak
and could not go into details.
The Attorney General inquired If Mr..
johnson had any reply to make, and that
gentleman said that If Mr.. Long would spec
ify at what places there had been compett-
tion before the combine he could disprove
the statement, but he could not refute gen.
eral statements. There being no one else
who had anything to say on either side of
the question, the Attorney General declared
the hearing adjourned. He has all the papers
in his possession and will hold the matter
under adviSement.