The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1894-03-08

leaves US small net profit after "
pay all expenses. We would los
money If we were to pay our labor
ers a better price. In fact, We have
just made cut in wages TO enable
us to make something al 'hls price.
And besides" he @eit on to say
I'VE would make more II we c"uj'
always d .spose Of the COZ A. soon a.
it is mined. Often We have to shut
down till we get orders"
/ told him that | would s. nd hin
an order for car load Of coal a
$l.1j a ton as soon as ! returned
home. was thinking of the 500
ton | had been paying, and then es-
timating that the freight would be
only about $500 a ton, ! could see
my coal put down in Goldsboro for
$4.l5 a ton. l was eongratulating
myself that had struck a bargain,
when to my astOnishment he said,
1--WE cant ship you the coal We don't
furnish IT to any one but the railroad
company or rather the Pocahontas
Coal Company" We asked him why
he did not look out for other purchas-
ers when the Railroad could not take
all that he had, and besides why he
did not try to sell direct to the peo-
pie and get more for his coal He
said that he was under contract with
the Railroad company. When we
showed surprise that good business
man would make such a contract, he
informed me that he and all other
coal miners were forced to do the
same thing. He said they were all
at the mercy of the Railroad compa-
MES and had to accept the terms they
offered. But" he said, I'VE hope
soon to see the G.. F. & =. V. Rail
road extended from Mt. Airy, n. c.,
up into this coal field and then there
will be two roads wanting to haul
the coal and we will get better
prices"
But 1 asked him how long he
thought these two roads would bid
against each other and if they would
not soon combine as they had done
everywhere else He said that of
course they might. | then asked him
If the Pocahontas Coal Company and |
the Railroad company were one and
the same2 He said that most of the |
officers of the Railroad company were
members Of the Coal company. He
said when they sold their coal that
it was bought in the name of the
Coal company but certain officers of
the road managed the business. l
asked if all this surplus profit on coal
went into the pockets of the few rail-
road men who make up the Coal
He said it did.
then asked him if the railroads
we're to haul the coal for half the
price now charged for freights, if he
could get any more money for his
coal, or if the people could get the
'oal any cheaper? He said "no, it
would simply mean less profit to the
title stockholders of the road, but
more profit to the big stockholders
who make up the Coal company.
They would sell coal at the same
prices"
| then asked him if he would not
'e better off and also the people who
Use coal if this Coal Co. and Rail
Dad could be made to "tote fair
md stand on the same footing with
'ther people7 He looked at me in as
enlistment and said: "Yes, certainly;
tut how can it be done You know
hese railroad commissions are
arce." We told him that there was
'ut one real remedy and that was for I
he people through their govern
nent to run the transportation lines.
After rejecting a moment he said,
well, l used to have no sympathy
r patience with what you call gov
ownership of railroads, but
omethlng has got to be done. | be- t
eve now it will come after while, 1
ut not right away We told him
hat it would come just as soon as !
len like himself and all others in .
would make up their minds
vote for what they wanted instead
for what they did not want.
l then asked him if the iron miners
-ere not in the same fix as the coal {
liners. He said say, practically
aat he thought they were. l asked {
practically the same was not true I
f every industry of the country. He a
aid that he had not thought about +
:, but that he expected it was.
He then began to discuss the :;
loorny outlook for business. But
e then told him that we thought +
lere was a bigger question before i
he people to-day than the transpor- Y
ltion question. 1t was a question '
lat effected every business even in
uding the railroads. He asked n
hat it was? l said "the money b
1estion." He said that he did not n
1ow much about 1T.
Just at this point the conductor s,
lied out his station. We shook T
lnds. The train was off again and a.
thought how much better informed .,
| these questions were some of the
ain farmers that | would meet at r