The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-12-02
THE BIG READING SUIT.
Argument on the Application fQEaa
Receiver for
''Railroad.
Special to The Jersey city Neaus

SDecaQt 70 Inc JERSEY CITY NeCS.
TRENTON, Dec. 2. 1892.-The argument
was begun yesterday on the strange ap-
plicatfon of the New Jersey authorities
for the appointment of receiver to take
charge of the Jersey Central coal traffic
in New Jersey. The Central, by affidavit
business except as common carrier. and
the State of New Jersey. through its
officials, insists that the Central is a coal
mine owner and operator, and as such
has disobeyed the recent orders of the
court forDidding i6 to do business as
partner with the Philadelphia and Read
Ing and oJher lines in the anthracite COM
bine. Chancellor McGill today heard
ex-Judgs Stevens and Barker Gummere
in behalf of the State, aud Robert w. De
Forest on the part of the Central, and to-
morrow will listen 20 more lawyers, in
cluding eX-Chancellor Williamson aud
Mr.. Dixon for the Central, and Attorney
General Stockton for the State.
COMMON CARRIERS.
Mr.. De Forest dwell on the afidavits of
President Maxwell and other officials of
the Central denying the charges in the
complaint, and asserting that the Central
has been operated independently since
the courts orders were made, and that it
has done nothing to raise or affect the
price of anthracite coal. He said that it
has only performed its duty as common
carrier, and has been so scrupuIous in
obeying the utmost spirit of tue tnjunc-
tion that it did not even join other authra-
cite-carrying roads in a slight increase of
tolls between mines located on its lines in
Pennsylvania and points in New Jersey,
though by so doing it could not have been
held TO a violation of the injunction.
Mr. GUMMERE'S ATTACK.
Mr.. Gunmere, in the course of his argu-
ment, said:-'It it be true, in the face of
the order of this court, the price of coal
mas been arbitrarily raised thirty.tive
cents per ton upon stove aud egg coal and
the rate of transportation has been raised
ten cents per ton, in all increasing the
cost of coal to the Inhabitants OF New
Jersey by means of continued combi-
nation, there never was in the annals of
Jurisprudence SO impudent defiance OF
the DEGREES of the high Court of Chan
Gerry or SO bare a disregard of its
authority or SO absolute refusal
to obey its decrees." Mr.. Gunmere
said that President Mcleod of the Read
ing, in his testimony before the New
York Senate Investigating Committee, ,ad-
mitted the existence of the coal combine,
while in his aHidavits In this case he
denied the collnsion between the COM
panies. President Maxwell of the Cen
tral he charged with endeavorlng TO blind
the eye of the court. He makes evasive
answer TO the charge of disobedience,
having, in fact, caused the Central to
participate to the extent of sixty per cent
in the rise of the price Of the coal to the
Inhabitants of New Jersey, In spite of the
decree of this court. Mr.. Gummere
characterized the combine as huge
scheme to plunder the people, and used
the strongest kind of language In de-
nouncing it, paying his compliments
especially to Mr.. Mcleod, and warning
the court that unless it enforces the
DEGREES it issues it will become the laus b.
ing stock Of the land.