The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-03-12

oWHotShlp nr option, the principal coal
mines IN NOVA Scotia, including those
mentioned nbOvc, in which tho cost Of
mining and having down I. .. b. for
shipment to New England is given nj
Sl.lll per ton, which includes tho
royalty OF twelve and onc.hali Conts
paid to tho British Crown and all rail.
roRd charges. Thus the Registers figures
are, on M average, moro, than 81 % n
ton out OF line. But moro OF this anon.
10 bolster up its work in behalf Of
those who desire to rob Maryland aud
tho Nirginiai OF tho Now England mar.
kGt, the EtgiSt2r has interviews with d.
Z. BoyIG aud Capt. W. n. Page. The
lalict's company has contract to sup.
ply tho locomotives OF the Chesapeake d
ONO railway, and is therefore 'dxed,'
tariIl or no tariff. Tho viOws Of those
gentlemen, who Rrc, as understand,
out-And-out ireG.tradcrS, imbued with
theoretical vncarlOs, fill about three
coIumnS, with conclusions based upon
tho misleading figures given above. A
large part OF Mr.. BUyce'a interview is
devoted to an argument in fuvor OF iroe
orc, 60 that tho iron industries may be
transferred from the interior 10 tho sea.
board. and thus to provide q market in
America for foreign ores 10 the cxclu-
sion oil American ores.
THE onl y argument made by Captain
laSo in favor OF FREQ coal, except such
as arc based OH false promises as to cost
oil mining, etc., in Nova Scotia, Is ono
predicatGd upon an exploded theory,
namely. that the removal of Canadian
duties on our coal will follow tho free
coal feature Of tho Wilson bill. There
Is no earthly reason 10 expect Canada
to admit American coal free. As q
matter OF fuct, tho removal OF tho Cana
dinn duty will not increase III our ship.
mtnts to Ontario, because the Cana
dian5 nie already buying all the Ameri-
can coal they can consume, and would,
therefore, notbe likely to buy any more,
even il the Canadian duty on coal
should be removed Tho reason they
buy coal from tho United States is that
the cost Of tho coal and transportation
ia less from the United States than it
would be from Nova Scotia, and this
difference Is one OF transportation en-
tiroly.
'sIhc third witness brought on the
stand BY tho Wheeling Register to con-
vict the rest OF tho West Virginia coal
operators Of cropping, Croveling ignor-
anCo is Mr.. Evan Powell, manager OF mn
English company-a gentleman bred
and born in England, with Tree trade
education from infancy, and in no sense
an American. lie is not regarded rs
practical coal operator, nor is he sup.
posed TO be well informed rs to tho
needs OF this country.
Thus We have more than six columns
Of erroneous figures and allegations,
and arguments based OH false premises,
IN great daily paper presumably de-
voted to the interests OF the state OF
West Virginia. Tho only effect OF this
Will be TO temporarily mislCad and de-
ceive the people. The attack upon tho
intelligence OF the coal operators OF
Wet Virginia in order to have any
effect would require far larger array
OF witnesses than tho Register has pro-
duced, especially in view Of the fact that
the operators OF Kentucky and Tennes.
sec had on the very day preceding the
Registers article passed resolution and
memorial 10 the United States senate
endorsing tho soundness OF tho position
taken by their brethren in the two Vir.
glnias. | should say that, according to
tho Register, the coal men OF Tennessee
and Kentucky are also FOOLS"
"All the world knows" Mr.. Miller
continued, that the Dominion Coal
Company is making desperate fight to
capture the coal business OF Now Eng.
land, and thereby deprive the two Yir-
ginlas OF business which now amounts
to millions oil dollars annually"
Taking up the annual report OF the
Dominion Coal Company, limited, for
tho year 1898, Mr.. Miller gave the gist
OF its contents us follows:
This company's coal was sold at
prices yielding on the average 81. 1923 pcr
ton, and after paying all commercial OK
penses in marketing it yielded net
profit OF twcnty.seven and scven-tcnths
conts per ton. and in addition, steam
ships, barges and railways owned by the
company and used in its coal opera-
tlons, the splendid prof. OF SlO3. oB7 G5.
From coal sold and profits from trans.
portation the company's gross earnings
were last year, 1898. SSS34, $50 G6 on m
output OF S3i,0l9 tons OF coal. How de-
lighted West Virginia operator would
be with such profits! From this they
dod uct SS7,72l - for new machinery
and wear and tear OF plant. Next thew
deduct Sl94,73l 90 ior dividends, inter
est on bonds and sinking funds, leaving
q net profit for the future needs Of the
treasury OF SOL ,977 49,"
Can any man." NJ. Miller asked,
reconcile himself to an acceptance OF
the theory that Nova Scotia Goals, if adj
mitted free OF duty or at less than from
sixty TO sovcnty-tivo cents, will fail to
hurt tho steam conl interests OF the An
palachian regions? II so he mus. be
ignorant indeed"
III further evidence he needed it is
furnished in the following extracts from
tho prospectus Of the Dominion Coal
company:
Mr.. Irving 4. Stcarns, manager OF the coal
| companies OF the Pennsylvania Railroad Com.
pany, visited Cape Breton and made an exauIn.
alton OF the properties. rendering his report on
| September ~, lS94 Mr.. StearnS stated In his
| report:
| Tue developments made show that the differ.
cnt seams arc remarkably uniform Iu thickness
and quality aud unusually free from faults and
disturbances OF Rny kind, aud IRE also very free
from gas and water. both OF which Gre very i'm.
| portnnt fRctors In the cost Of mining. .
III the mines were working steadily the aver.
aye cost Of mining OF all the cOlllerlcs referred
| 10. exclusive OF royalty and new improvements.
should not exceed eighty cents per ton. aud by
the use Of cONl.Cu.tiuS machinery could be still
| further reduced.
THE different mines and Gallery plants are.
as whole. IN good condition.
III the different operations were consolidated
considerable saving could be cllcCtcn In yarIous
WAYS
"a very important advantage In such q con.
| solidation would be In opening new co!lerjc;.
which could be located with view to lnIning
: tlaLaL. u