Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1895-03-28
PRESIDENTS TO MEET.
HEADS OF THE COAL ROADS WILL
GET TOGETHER TODAY.
Another Attempt to II. Made to Rrgu-
late the Production of Anth racite Coal
Some Companies Will Not Agree TO a
Binding Contract.

late the Production of A nth racite Coal
Some Companies Will Not Agree to a
Binding Contract.
The meeting of The presidents of th,
anthracite coal roads, to be held in NcA
York today, is the chief topic of interest
In financial circles in New York anu
Philadelphia, and is also of much i'm
portance to all Interested in mining.
Today's meeting may strengthen tn,
famous coal combination, which. since
its existence, has been grinding the
miners at one end and the consumers al
the other, or it may end the totterins
monopoly and leave each road free t.
carry all the coal for which marke,
can be found.
AS to making an agreement as to ton
mage allotment there is probably less
difficulty than there will be in maintain
ing it. AS far as can be known, some
Of the leading lines will not enter into
any binding contract. The Pennsylva-
MIA Railroad has refused for many years
to be an active party to any restrictive
plan and has refusen to attend the coal
combination meetings for long period
1t is not believed by any one acquainted
with Mr.. Roberts policy, that he will
commit himself in writing and legally
to any scheme which restricts the move
ment or price of a staple article of trade
Recently Mr.. Sloan, of the Lacka-
wanna, who was one of the founders OF
thn nj Ia ;n,,
ed to carry out the agreements made
He has sent representative of the
Lackawanna to the, meetings, but for a
long time it has been well understood
that his road would do as it pleased.
The Reading long ago gave notice
that 1t was not getting as large share
of coal traffic as it was entitled to and
that 1t proposed to have its full share of
tonnage. Though this policy was adopt
ed nearly two years ago, it was only dis
covered by the New Workers last week
The Reading Company, it is understood,
wants about 81 per cent of the total ton
mage and is willing to go into an agree
ment II 1t gets what it wants.
The Delaware and Hudson is rich
and naughty corporation which can take
care of itself in any event, and it pro-
poses to get all it thinks it deserves.
The Lehigh Valley and Central Rail-
road of New Jersey would be glad to go
into an arrangement that did not re-
duce their percentages, and it is possi
BILE they might concede little.
There would probably be little trouble
in getting the Pennsylvania Coal Com
pany into an arrangement. Mr.. Hoyt,
the late president, made big fight once,
but recently the company has been
tractable.
The Erie, which is a more interested
anthracite carrier since the Lehigh Val
ley opened its own line to Buffalo, wants
an increase, and the same may be said
OF the Ontario and Western, Susque-
hanna and Western and the Delaware,
Susquehanna and Schuylkill.
These latter roads have appeared as
factors in the trade since the last allot-
ment of tonnage percentages was agreed
to, in Mr.. Pierpont Morgan's parlor in
December 1886.
Every line of course wants more ton
mage than they can have, and if the
presidents are unable to arrange salts
factory percentage today for each road
the coal combine may dissolve and each
railroad will then have to hustle for all
1t Is worth.