The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-05-02
CONDITION OF COAL TRADE
Local Coal Men Disappointed at Re-
suit Of Agents Conference.
WHAT ONE OPERATOR SAYS
Thinks 1t Is Time Individual Operators
Had Something to Say About Regulat.
ing Prices Committee Appointed
by Sales Agents at New York.


prices In New York Tuesday. Another
meeting of the agents will be held to-
DAY but there are many who believe
that 1t will not result in any beneficial
step being taken.
we must look to those higher in au-
thority,' said an operator yesterday
who controls collieries north of the
city, for a settlement of the difficult
ties that disturb the coal trade. Those
coal sales agents are very nice, agree
able men, but they know one another,
and that knowledge leads them to ex-
pect that an agreement as to coal prices
Is made only to be broken. They
might nave agreed upon a scale of
prices yesterday and yet gone right into
the market today and sold coal for
what they could get for 1t. They are
commission men. you know, and want
to sell the coal that they may make
money. The presidents of the various
companies at interest could get to-
gether and end this difficulty In half
an hour If they were disposed so to do.
Until they do come to an understand
ing the sales agents can meet daily
without bringing about beneficial re-
suits.
Opposition to the Reading.
This mimic war, as I view 1t, has
for its purpose the preventing of the
rehabilitation of the Reading company.
It's officials in the past have been con-
tented to take without murmur what
came their way that peace might be
preserved New they say that 81 per
cent. of the coal output Is essential for
the stability Of the company and have
changed their former easy-going meth
DDS and aggresslvely insist that they
must have 1t. This change from. the
Readings former supine attitude has
been somewhat of a shock to the other
companies. interests opposed to Read
ing's rehabilitation seem to have
formed a coalition with those who fear
demand it will ask more next year,
and appear determined to contest the
matter to the end.
This means q loss of money all
around, for it requires no very great
mental effort to see that If one of the
companies sells 100000 tons at So per
ton it is not making as much money as
If 1t sold 3,O0O,O00 at 81. The consumer,
unless he buys in large quantities. re-
ceives no benefit from the present de-
crease in prices. 1t all goes to the
middlemen, some of whom are now
making 81 ton profit on coal, instead
of the fifteen cents that is usually con-
ceded to them. They buy coal cheap,
because certain companies need money
and must sell, and then the middlemen
proceed to hoard the coal until they get
their price.
Individual Operators Suffer.
1.-THE real sufferers from this conflict
are the individual operators, whose
business is to mine few thousand
tons of coal month and sell 1t. In
consequence of the drop in prices many
of the operators are losing money, and
a continuation of the present ruinous
system means bankruptcy to them. 1t
seems to me that the time is approach
ing when the operators will be forced to
take definite and firm stand with re-
gard to the prices at which their coal
shall be sold. 1t is not right that we
should turn our coal over to the great
common carriers and let them sell 1t
and make prices that may not be at all
to our liking"
Activity about the Delaware, Lacka-
wanna and Western collieries still con-
tinues and a great deal of coal has been
mined during the last week, though
not any more than was necessary to
make up the April quota, the officials
Of the company assert. Concerning
the present difficulty the Philadelphia
Times saysi
$50 far as the coal controversy goes,
Reading and the other local roads ap-
pear to be in the position of waiting to
see what the big New York companies
propose doing. Reading, in demanding
q per cent. of the total tonnage, is the
only one Of the eleven companies inter-
ested in the trade that has definitely
defined It's position. The method Of
coming to an agreement would seem
perfectly simple if, as they have said
they are, the other roads are sincere in
their desire for settlement Of the pres
ent difficulties.
Mr.. Wolsh's Suggestion.
"As John Lowber Welsh put it the
other day. the way to do 1t Is for each
company to say what percentage 1t
wants. The result would probably be
an excess of from to per cent. Each
company should then be required to
prove it's rights to the amount claimed.
Some companies naturally could not
furnish this proof, and the excess could
then be taken from these which claim
more than their rights. The Reading
has made its demand for Il per cent.
only after exhaustive inquiry into the
Justice of its claim. 1t Is prepared to
support its demand by evidence, and
the matter of making this evidence
public in order that everybody may see
its Justice has been discussed and may
soon be adopted"
Reason for Adjournment.
The following despatch was sent out
from New York last night by the United
Press: 1.-THE committee appointed by
the anthracite coal sales agents yes
terday consists of Vice President
Holden, of the Lackawanna, President
Walter, Of the Delaware Susquehanna
and Schuylkill, and Sales Agent Torrey,
of the Delaware and Hudson. The COM
mittee Is expected to report a line Of
action which will be adopted by the
sales agents at their meeting tomorrow.
"The reason for the adjournment Of
the sales agents meeting yesterday Is
said to have been the refusal of the
Lehigh Valley representatives to agree
to the decision of the other agents to
place the output for May at 3,5OO,OOO
tons, until the Pennsylvania had been
heard from. This action Of the Lehigh
Valley people has created considerable
comment on the street today. and led
to the opinion that the alliance between
the Pennsylvania and Lehigh Valley
is even more intimate than generally
supposed. The theory now is that a
perfect understanding exists between
the Erie Jersey Central Pannsvluania