St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-02-13
The Great Coup in Coalers Is
Likely to Be Strenuously
Fought.
A. j. CaSSatt ChaPacteriZeS 1t
as Audaeious and Uncon-
StitutionaI.
Gov. Pattison Relied on to Act
in the Matter--Another
View of the Case.
An Exciting Close at New
York, and Reading Loses
a Few Points.

PHILADELPHIA, Feb. IA reporter
who called at the Office Of the Pennsyl-
vania railroad this morning and tried to
ascertain what the managers of that
company had to say about Reading S
great coup found the officers not dis
posed to discuss the subject at present.
A. J. Cassatt, one of the directors of the
company. was, however, quite willing
to express his individual views.
"Well, if you want my candid opin.
ion," Mr.. Cassatt said, Al think this is
the most audacious and most impudent
defiance of the law and the constitution
of the state that has ever been attempted
in Pennsylvania. 1t is not possible that
the people who have made this big COM
bination can have forgotten the result
of the litigation growing out of the pro-
posed purchase by the Pennsylvania
Railroad company of the South Penn
sylvania road and the Berekirk road
some years ago. Here is all attempt TO
create monopoly of almost the entire
anthracite coal output Of the state, and
the entire output, in fact, except the
very small part which is controlled by
the Pennsylvania railroad. The mag
nilude Of this
Enormous Combination
will be understood when tell you that
the anthracite coal production amounts
to about 100000 tons per annum, rep
resenting money value of the market
of $3.50, 100000 annually"
tD0 | think that any stems will he
taken to prevent the deal from being
carried out? Yes; / most certainly
do"
Twill the Pennsylvania Railroad COM
pany take any legal prOceedingS"' II
don't know anything about that: bus
do not think it will be necessary for any
corporation or Individual to take any ac-
ton either"
"Who do you think will?" "Why, the
executive of the state, of course. 1t
happens. fortunately, that the governor
of the state is the same governor who SO
promptly took action against the Penn
sylvania railroad in the case referred
to. He did not wait then for any indi-
vidual corporation to take the initiative !:
he acted on his own motion, and he
acted at once. Gov. Pattison has an en-
viable reputation as an able, honest and
consistent public official, who has never
yet failed in doing his duty. and l feel
perfectly confident he won't fail this
time"
The Other Side.
John G.. johnson, counsel for the
Reading Railroad company, in an inter
view this evening in reply to A. j. Cas-
salts statements, said: Mr.. CaSSatt
seems to have learned the law upon the
subject of what parallel and competing
lines may do through the lesson taught
his company in the two cases WHICH he
cite d. The Pennsylvania railway, as
we know, controls a line of transporta-
ton between Philadelphia and Chicago
via Harrisburg and Pittsburg. The
South Pennsylvania Railroad company
was Incorporated for the construc-
ton of railroad which, by
means of intervening and connect
petltive line with the Pennsylvania rail
via the same points.
'Mr.CaSsatt objects to the issue by the
Reading Railroad company Of the Lee
high Valley railroad, because. as he
says, the railroads of both companies
are competing. The Lehigh Valley
railway is certainly not parallel to the
Reading. How can it compete with it
in the delivery of Schuylkill to any mar
ket? The coal regions of PENNSYLVANIA
are so situated that the outlet from each
market is by means OF railroad which
cannot reach the coal of any other
basin, or which certainly does not do
So"