The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-03-09
Net earnings.

Mex e1fnlnSS,.......,...S .S-tO,pOO Dec. SlOi'bOU
New York, March .S-The sub-commit-
tee appointed by the anthracite companies
to report statistics as to the capacity Of
the different companies were not ready to
report today TO the general committee
meeting and accordingly the meeting was
postponed until next Tuesday. In the
meantime the subcommittee is complet-
ing its labors. Its report will present
statistics of the different companies for
| the past two years and from them 1t is
| supposed the general committee will ar
range a basis of percentage Of operations
| for the different companies. The work
of the general committee is to be subse-
| quently reviewed by the presidents before
| final action is taken.
| First Vice President HartshOrn, of the
| Lehigh Valley, who returned on Wednes-
| day from d visit to ST. Louis, when ques-
| toned as to the probable action of his
company, said that having been absent for
several days he was not perfectly familiar
with the situation. but. so far as his COM
pany was concerned, he did not believe
that 1t would accede to Readings demand
for an increased pro rata, II it was 20
cents a ton or only 10 cents a ton. The Lee
| high Valley he said, could send all of the
| coal originating on its lines to New Yerk,
| and thus gain the benefit of the longer
haul. II the dealers on the line of the
Reading wanted Lehigh coal they would
have to pay the difference of the in
creased pro rata.
| Apropos of the Readings recent noti-
| fcation the interesting fact Is recalled
that number of years ago, prior to the
| Interstate commerce law. the Reading
Railroad company suddenly advanced the
freight rates on Lehigh Valley coal 20
/ tl. a
the Lehigh Valley railroad took no ac-
tion. but instead of sending its coal over
the Readings tracks 1t sent nearly all the
output destined to Philadelphia over the
| Pennsylvania railroad. The falling off
| was so great that the Reading company
| soon rescinded its order and established
the old rate. The Lehigh Valley company
| will, 1t Is thought, see that It's customers
get all the Lehigh coal that IL required In
that city and when 1t Is absolutely neCes-
sary 1t will pay the advance in tolls.
President Wilbur's comment on the
Reading railroads threat follows: 'It
looks as II the Reading Railroad company
does not care to supply dealers on thieT
lines with Lehigh coal, and that they arc
Indifferent 70 the loss OF the large ton.
mage we have heretofore given them al
East Penn Junction and Bethlehem. Oui
hauls Is so small that this action on the
part OF the Reading, so far as II dlverts
tonnage from their road, will be to oui
advantage by REASON Of the longer hau
and better rates In carrying II to other
markets" President Wilbur further sall
the Lehigh Valley had not taken any ac
ton In the matter yet. and he did moi
know what would be done, as Genera
Traffic Manager John Taylor Is out OF
town.
The Philadelphia Record Is loyal to tn,
Reading In Its new attitude. 1t says
THE ability OF the Reading both fol
enormous production and for easy trans
portation cannot be excelled The grad,
of the Reading road Is so favorable that {
locomotive can bring down as many load
ed cars as It can carry back empty: there
fore, the greater quantity taken to mar
ket, the greater must be the profit ovel
that Of any competing road. The bat
faith shown by other producers has
caused the Reading to take the decide,
step that 1t has to compel the award I,
II OF a larger percentage OF the total out
put, as well a. to bring about some rela
BILE agreement concerning the preserva
ton of "A proper schedule of prices. Th,
end Of the whole business must be yer,
materially to the interest of the Readln,
security-holders."
Philadelphia Inquirer: The first resul
OF the Readings new attitude In regard I,
local coal shipments Is a drop In tide
water prices. The Jersey General an,
Lehigh Valley sell between 600 900 and 75O,
900 tons of coal in the Readings territory
and as they do not intend to lose this ton
mage they must sell 1t In competitive mar
kets. Within the last day or two price,
have weakened badly. The circular pric,
for stove coal In New York is $500, bu
sales have been made right along as Low
as $3i5 by the companies, and some con
Germs have gone even lower. These fig
ures were for freshly-mined first-clas
standard coal. But now the Lehigh Val
ley IL said to be selling as low as $3.l5, an,
some other companles are reported to b.
making transactions ut $500 and 1926
These are war prices. At $3.15 tho Lehigl
Valley gets $l.26 for transportation, whicl
Is but little more than cost, while the Goa
operator gets $.Ss for his coal, which Il