The evening world., 1894-04-09
NOW COAL COSTS MORE

These figures show that coal is higher
Now than 1t was sixteen years ago. In
that time wages of workmen have de-
creased and labor-saving appliances for
use in mining have been invented New
ertheless, the coal companies and the re-
tailers, between them. have stihly main
While everything else has been growing
cheaper, coal has not. The consumer
buys sugar, coffee and other staples for
nearly half what he paid sixteen years
ago, but he pays as much as ever. some
times more, for coal
1t has already been shown how. great
There can be no doubt also that the
absorption by the railroads Of the coal
mining business. in addition to their le-
climate functions as. carriers; has con.
trhuted greatly to existing high prices OF
coal. The consumers pay tribute to the
coal roads, who WELD a power scarcely
the last twenty or twenty-five years all
the conditions OF mining transporting and
selling coal have been changed The
miners have been ground down. but the
public still pays its big toll to the coal
magnate.
WHAT Is THE REASON?
1t is not to high wages at the mines
that the high price of coal Is due; until
1870 there was prosperity among me MN
sylvana. Wages were at a hlgh nHure
AS much as 56 cents was pad for cutting
out y cubic 6Ss OF GTb Tbev MeTt Were oa
f,'' bcr orderly lot Of men, Most Of them
were Americans. Very few children
were, employed in the mines mines then;; Sn;or,ns IN
stopped only for repairs or. stress of
weather. The owners never alleged oyer
production as an excuse ior shu''ihs
The miners were contented. The mine
owners realized good prohts from thar
Investments, and there was not the Dit
ter hostility of the present between them
and their employees. All were doing
we'll the mirer with his good wages, and
the owner with his good profits. Never
other staples. The consumer IN New
York paid but a moderate price for an
thraCite, and there was no complaint
READINGS SELFISH POLICY.
But the Reading Railroad Company
changed all this nnnpession 1T pesan Of PoiSS ths
miners, to an increase in the price OF
coal, to the limitation of the days OF
labor and to the reduction 'rd OF the wage ie
entered the coal fields and followed th'
plan of the Reading, lndiyidual opera
tors We're driven from the business
vious to 1870 the conditions were no
such as We're favorable to the consum
nation of union between the coal land
owners and the carriers, Coal wa
transported to tidewater cheaply. Spu
tracks entered the premises OF the nu
merous properties of the individual oper
htOrS, lnere was ndtuIui 'oHipe'itioi
between the railways of the coal region
The result was good service TO the mine
owners. The story of no spare car
was never heard. and a mine-owne
could ship his coal at proht with IN
certainty Of prompt delivery; the com
petition between the individual opera
tors protected the miners.
COAL RAILWAYS A MONOPOLY
To-day the coal railways-so called
hold 80 per cent. of the anthracite Goa
fields. Coal can now be mined cheape
than ever before. AS has been stated
the cost of the machinery used has bee
lessened. More power can be cheapl!
mines easily. Coal that formerly wen
70 the waste heap is utilized. Tn
Facilities for handling are vastly greater