The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-05-11

The Governor and the Coal Deal.
The action of the Governor for the
repression Of the Reading Combine
will cause nobody any surprise. When
the interests of the people are at stake,
it is customary to look to Leon
Albeit for prompt and vigorous
action, and it is nc surprise when he
shows himself the champion of the
peoples rights. In the present con-
juncture, we have no sort of doubt
but he will bring the combined
companies to their knees end will
secure for the public not only as
cheap fuel as of old, but in addition,
some share of the gain resulting from
the new combination.
In m ost heartily endorsing whatever
action the Governor may take to
bring the company to terms, THE
JERSEY CITY NEWS is involving it.
self in no inconsistency. THE NEWS
hailed the combination, when it was
first made, as a public and private
benefit. We considered that M
strong road was better than three
bankrupt ones, that it would give in
initely better public service, that it
could afford to give cheaper service,
and that it was altogether better and
more profitable from AZ public and
private view. Every word of this is
true. The company explained and
defended the combination ON this
basis. Not a word was said about
taking advantage Of a monopolistic
position to extort money from coal
consumers; on the contrary, such an
intention was most distinctly and
emphatically disavowed. Taking the
explanations and promises of the
company at their par value, THE
NEWS was justified in cordially ap-
proving the combination.
Later developments have shown
that, as is only too often the case with
the conductors of great enterprises,
the hackers of the Reading combine
did not know how to keep their word
or subserve their own best interests.
No sooner did they begin to feel a
little security than they commenced a
raid upon the pockets of the coal con-
sumers. They converted their COM
bination from an agency of economy
and good management into one of
plumber. On this plane, THE News
views the associates as it would a
band of highway robbers, and hopes
to see them dealt with, with equal
severity by the State.
The practical question now is as to
how far it will be wise and prudent
for Governor Albeit to push his war
fare. Should he proceed to penal ex-
tremities under ali circumstances, or
should he simply use the law to COM
pei proper concessions from the CON-
bined companies. The proceedings
that he has instituted contemplate
the forfeiture of the charters of all
the companies in the deal i%ncorpor-
ated under the laws of this State.
This would mean the placing of the
lines in the hands of receivers pend
ing final determination by the Legis-
lature or the courts as to what should
be done with them. If they were ulti-
mately sold at auction, the queer re-
suit might be that the Reading might
buy them all in. But it is utterly i'm
probable that the companies will
ever allow proceedings to go to
that length. No soone will an ac-
tive attack be begun than the officers
will very speedily approach the
Governor and the Attorney General
with offers of settlement. For all
practical purposes this will be the
realization of all that these legal pro-
ceedings seek to accomplish. Ii any
form of contract can be devised which
will guarantee the State fair coal
prices in the future. the execution of
such a pact should suffice to bring the
suits to a close.
1t may be well believed, however,
that the Governor will do the best and
most practical thing for the State and