Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-03-10
TN e READING cd,
Opening of the Hearing lat Harrisburg
Yesterday1


Harrisburg, Pa, March 3,-The
hearing in the Reading Gal was opened
at noon to-day by 1torney-general
Hensel. Neither Mr., Powderly, Mr..
Cassat nor representati' Us Of the Penn
sylvania railroad werejpresent. A. A..
Mcleod, president andIseneral manager
Of the Philadelphia s. Heading Railroad
Company, was preseIit, as were also
many of the leading officials of the rail-
roads interested in the combine, includ-
ing Frank Kaercher Of the Philadelphia
& Reading Coal and Iron Comp ny;
Robert II. Sayre, general manager Of NE
Lehigh Valley railroad; Charles Hart
Shorn, first vice-president of the Lehigh
( Valley; Daniel Jones. controller of the
Philadelphia d Reading, II. II. Nichols,
chief engineer and Assistant Mcclure,
Of the same road; George David Wills,
Of Gettysburg; ID. w. Wetsil, of Car
Isle; ex-senator Morgan B. Williams. of
Luzerne, and Representative John II.
Holt.
The Philadelphia & Reading railroad
was represented by its counsel, John j.
johnson, Thomas Bunker,an ex-Attor-
ney-general jams D. Campbell; the
Lehighs Valley was represented by
Henry 8. Baker, 7. +. Gowan and NJ. 4.
Olmstead; the New Jersey Central by
Richard Dale and samuel Dixon. The
Ssases of the New Jersey Central and
hlehigh Valley railroads were given to
the attorney gelfral by counsel with the
irequest that tl.oE be not given out for
Adjudication. III. johnson presented
flnaps showing Inc lines of the different
railroads contHkled by the combine.
Attorney-gt4eral Hensel said the sub
|stnncc of TIE complaints that had
Preached his o5ice was that these roads
were direct 1bmpetitors and that there
was yiolatiJn of the constitution. lie
invited anyPerson who felt aggrieyed
by the combine TO present their side of
the matter. jMr. johnson sand the roads
expected that there would be somebody
present w would do more than write
letters and'asked that counsel be allowed
to retire few minutes to confer as to
what course TO pursue.
After a brief consultation Mr.. John
son asked that he be allowed 10 make a
few statements to show that the consti-
tuition had not been violated. Mr. John
son said this was not case in which it
was necessary TO secure the interven-,
ton of the attorney general. II any
private citizen feels that the laws is vio-
lated he can get his redress in the
courts. Mr.. johnson said the selling
rates of coal at local points in Pennsyl-
vania In 1891, and at tide at local points
ranged between $1.75 and S1.02 at tide
and $1.57 and STA during the whole
year at tidal points.
There has been q steady price of 10 to
10 cents per ton less than the pric of
coal in Pennsylvania. This state Of af-
fairs is not beneficial to the common-
wealth. This move of the Reading COM
pany is to eliminate the middle men.
He commended that this case was not
parallel to that Of the South Penn and
Beech Creek.
Mr.. johnson said there has not been
competition in the past 10 years between
the Lehigh Valley and the Susquehanna
railroad, which Is the leased line in this
state OF the New Jersey Central. He did
not care, he said, whether the leases be
held or not. He attempted to show that
the Philadelphia g. Reading and Lehigh
Valley roads are not parallel or COM
peting lines.
wherein does the Lehigh Valley COM
pete anywhere south of the coal region
to get merchandise into Philadelphia ?"
asked Mr.. johnson. Heretofore they
have been unable to get into Philadei-
phia; now it has an outlet which will
enable it to reach that city. This will
not destroy competition but the new
arrangements will open new markets.