Evening journal., 1892-05-05
NO INCREASE IN RATES.
President Roberts Defines the
Pennsylvania Position.
IT WILL JOIN IN NO COMBINES

lie Declares That the Policy Of Restrict
ing the output Of Anthracite Coal and
Increasing the Price WIN End In Dis
astsr to Those who Follow It.
PHILADELPHIA, May 5.-President Rob
trts, Of the Pennsylvania railroad, talked
freely to a reporter about the coal and rate
questions. He said
1T has always been the policy Of our com
pany to manage It's traffic in harmony with
its competitors, and our recent action sim
ply made one rate conform as nearly as
possible to those which were then being
charged by other lines It was made neoes-
sary by the new system established by our
competitors Of making the rate bear GER
tain relative proportion to the selling price
OF the coal and resulted in a reduction Of
Of the nominal rates which have been pre-.
vailing, and it seemed to me 10 tend toward
a proportionate reduction in the cost Of the
coal TO the consumer But if this is to be
followed by an advance in the price OF coal
forced by curtailment in the production
fear il would be impracticable for our
company 20 continue the policy il has al.
ways heretofore deemed IL wise to adopt, as
we have never at any time been in harmony
with the policy Of restricting production for
the purpose Of advancing the price Of a
commodity, and the interests Of our com
pany are those of a transporter, whose oh
iect IL h 10 stimulate the production of arti-
cles rather than restrict them.
Against the Public Interest.
II do not believe that It is to the interest
OF the public OF Of any railway company eu-
gagged in It's legitimate business as a trans
/ porter to become owners of coal property,
10 as 10 bring them, as both transporters
and producers, into antagonism with the in
terests Of the community. This policy, how
ever, having prevailed among the larger
companies, the Pennsylvania Railroad com
pany was compelled, previous 20 my admin.
istration, 10 acquire some anthracite coal
| property for the protection of It's customers
on lbs lines a. well as on its transporting in
terests
"This policy has been studiously avoided
ever since, 80 far as II was possible tosio so
AT the present time the manufacturing IN
terests Of the country as well az the mining
industries are in a very depressed condition
and II seems to be a necessity in the bitumi
nous traffic as well as in the iron industrie
iof the transporter 70 inAht NohNtnniNHn III
variety Of ways In the endeavor TO kee
those industries in "A productive condition
The policy now proposed, as understand II
, in the handling Of the anthracite product,
TO be the reverse of this and would mea
, an endeavor 10 secure higher prices for tn
anthracite coal which is so necessary TO 3
many of our industrial interests and ais
higher prices for the transportation thereC
l by curtailing the product. This certainl
q seems to be q very unwise policy 10 pursue.
{ No Combine FOR Him.
u Il would conclude from this, then, tina
your company is not prepared to join th
y recent anthracite combination in their pr
n posed methodsF'
Mr. Roberts-No, sir. Our company dos
=, not believe it is to the interests of the pul
: lie OF Of its shareholders TO become part
< TO a combination which proposes TO restri'
li the production of an article which is
n necessary as anthracite coal 10 the CONNIE
cial prosperity Of the country. We belie'
that any such policy must inevitably resu
in arraying the public and the constitute
}, authorities intrusted with the enforcemeI
j Of the laws against the companies who pa
r sue such policy, and end IN disaster to a
ID corporate interests.