Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1892-05-12
UP GOES rte PeioE Ct cCAL.
The Combine Prac; a. 10 troll the
output and Advance the Price,

The Combine Prac; .u'y 80 troll the
output and Advance the Price.
Probably no one thing which Is of vital
concern 10 seven cighths OF the pop
ulation of tie whole United States
is causing 50 much annoyance and
uneasiness as Is the great combine
recently effected by President Mcleod of
the Reading railroad, whereby his company
dictates what the people must pay for com
petition forms no part The story OF the
combine is interesting
The Philadelphia and Reading railroad
has been in bad shape financially for long
time and the anthracite coal companies com
Dined control an output of something like
~ or ID per cent more than the conauinp-
ton Of the whole United States. The re-
suit has been unsatisfactory prices on ac-
count OF over production. In order to pre-
vent ruinously low prices the coal com
panies have had recourse to frequent sus-
pension or mining. As all the coal
producing companies would not enter into
this arrangement for restriction it
has caused Lard feeling and jeal
ousy. In addition to the large
coal mining companies there are
large number Of individual miners who own
their own coal properties, and as the lat
has been practically impossible to keep the
production at the safety limit. Finally, as
n matter OF preservation, the Philadel-
phia and Hendng railroad people, who CON
trolled less than % or cent of the authra-
cite coal production of the country, took
the thing in hand and by tho aid Of n strong
financial backing, which they were enablol
to obtain, got possession of tho l.chigh
Valley railroad and the New Jersey
Central, which two companies con-
troll about 80 per cent of the anthracite
production. They then obtained an interes
in the Delaware and Lackawana railroad,
which controlled some l6 per cent OF the
anthracite production. Even with this
large amount Of tonnage under their con-
troll they were not satisfied, and proceeded
to make bargains with most of the iudivid
ual miners Under this last arran cement
the Reading company takes the entire pro-
duction at the mouth OF the mines. The
operators are allowed 90 per cent of the net
price at tide water i'll payment for their
coal. This practically gives the Reading
railroad control of the anthracite pr oduc-
ton of the United States.
AS the Reading railroad has an enormous
funded debt. it is necessary for them to
have heavy earnings TO meet their interest
and other expenses. With their practical
| control of this large percentage of the
anthracite production it is comparatively an
easy thing for them to advance prices.
This they have done. Stove coal to-day
COSTS exactly 80 cents per ton, laid down in
this city, more than it did a year ago. The
other sizes have been advanced in proper
tion and further advances are threatened
in the immediate future. As shown by the
above this combination controls about
80 per cent of the production of anthracite,
which means all the hard coal mined in the
country, and the go. 000, coo Of people are
in the hands of the combine, or the Read
ing railroad. 1t is impossible now for IL
dealer in this city to buy 1000 or 5000 tons
of coal and have it delivered at any stated
| time The miners are working only on
one-haif time in order to reduce the output
and large number of the railroad en-
p!oyes have been discharged, which is due
more to the coal being handled by one road
than because Of q less production.