The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-11-11
OLD ISSUES IN NEW FORM.


How tho Action OF the Individual Opcr
ators In Appealing for Proxies Is We soc.
In the Cistes-Doth sides OF tho Case.
Conoorning the necontiy tsoued aDpoa
of the Individual Anthracite Coal Op-
erstoye' association ia EeIas;n OF etecR
IA eeal Carrying iaat.s for proSies, Will
a view 90 securing q cair Tepresentntio;
Of the adaaae.te trade upon ire boaI4s
os directors c. tliese reads, inc fAi|a-
6eiph;s IuI,et:n cayRs Tho anpeai Is
teis,perateiy werled document, "Hur=
ira ti,e yeaG 1874" L declares, ri pei
cent, OF lhe sotsl tonnage Was :n,aea by
the Anthracite Coal oserstors' assecis'
ties, comprising nearly all tie eorpora=
tiahs, 'ir.:is ana iaGividuai3 mining az:
;nFseite eeai eetsiGe ot t.is ToAroad
oan.raniea spcve ln;aeG," Th;s "pro=
yogtion," It Ia a'ide6, IA "::iilt,e,. ihT@ei
than That os aa5' es;,en a;asie Interest,
"Nast Sc ;pe eaai 90 :;ninea," t;.a a,=
real continues, "is Ce.:''e:e1 90 come
ana Sf ti;e Companies under Contracts
providing. ioa q division or t,a feiiinG
a1iee between operator fnd carrier.
Thir sgi'a ;,s'emant ;naites the i,tarerte
or sie :,e,;:heTs Of e;,a aaseeiaiiSa a:'a
ct tho steekae,dere IN the greater eofi-
panles aractieaiti. identical, when t,,e
individual 0po:ctar loser. ti:o mining ny
the railroads from their own lands must
be equally uuprOetahle.
Gas all are aware, the last year has
been q mort disastrous one to the trade.
Many millions of tons that can never be
replaced have been worse than thrown
away, because actually sold at much
less than cost. Insolvency has nearly
or quite overtaken some of the above
companies. and those that have con-
tinued dividend payments have made
up the deficits from their assets. That
this waste has been unnecessary. every
mining operator knows. Their lands
are being rapidly exhausted, and can
not be replaced at any price"
Another "Slrmp" Feared.
Just now natural conditions are Gre
ating sharp demand for coal, and
counteracting corporate folly; but we
find that some of the companies to
whom we deliver our produce have
made so many sales for future deliv-
cry at the previous low prices that it is
doubtful If either we or you yill derive
much advantage before another
slump" In prices comes. Our past eX-
perience Is not reaSsuring.
Our members representing an in
vestment of about $75,00O,000 in mines
and the appurtenances) are practical
men, and thoroughly familiar with the
trade in all its details. Many of them
are stockholders in one or more of the
companies above named, and their in
terests are thus doubly identical with
yours. Although the bulk Of your capt.
tai is invested in the coal regions, so
that its value and productiveness de-
pend upon conditions existing and
economies to be practiced there, yet 1t
IS remarkable fact that some Of the
largest Of the coal companies have not
q single director who is resident In the
territory where your money Is eXpend
ed, or at all familiar with practical
or even with the actual condi-
ton of your property. That such
state of affairs must operate greatly
to the disadvantage of the company fol-
lows without saying.
Committees appointed by our asso-
citation have heretofore proposed to the
railroad managers various plans for
differences in the trade,
but no beneficial action has followed"
The circular concludes with an ap-
peal for proxies, with the view to Sc
curing representation in the manage
ment Of the roads aforementioned. The
proxy committee comprises T.. B.
SCTdItOl, I1OWe,
delphia, and c. d. Simpson, Scranton.
An Amicabio Fight.
A representative of the committee
said on Saturday that the proposed
to secure direct representa-
ton of the individual operators in the
of the anthracite carrying
companies was not one intended to
be antagonistic to the interests Of these
but to attempt to secure
that would economize the out
put Of coal. The indiscriminate min
ing of coal regardless Of market re-
uuirements in 1894, had not only left op-
orators without dollar of profit on
their business, but 1t had injured the
of the railroad companies
who have their money invested in their
shares, as we'll as those whose money Is
invested in the coal lands.
He illustrated this, showing that the
supply of anthracite coal in Pennsylva-
MIA Is not inexhaustible, that so far
from being so its limits of future supply
are well within the bounds of calcula-
ton. In a 100 years. he said, coal from
will be curiosity. Two or three de-
,ades will make very perceptible dim
mutton in the supply still in the earth.
BY wasting 1t as it has been wasted
For sixty years past, at the rate of over
10, 100000 tons per day, the carriers are
their prospects of rev.
enue in the not very distant future.
The limit to the coal supply of Pennsyl-
vania has become subject of serious
This is the argument Of the COM
mittee now asking for proxies. An
.hracite coal, they say, Is luxury COM
pared with which there is no fuel yet
found in the world, and the fact that
he limit Of the supply can be more or
ess definitely estimated Is a strong rea-
son why it should not be wasted, and
N the opinion Of the committee, sold
'or profltless prices.
At tho Mercy OF tho Companies.
The individul operators as compared
With the coal carrying companies who
ire also miners Of coal, are at the mercy
If the transportation companies who
TX the rates and selling price. The op-
orator receives from the carrier so per
,ent. Of the selling pice of coal at tide
water and city and line shipments.
When coal sold at $4.25 per ton at tide
water, the rate from the Lehigh mines
'Or transportation was $1.70 per ton.
BY flooding the markets with coal, the
carriers obtained all the revenue for
lauling 1t. In asking for proxies to Sc
,ure representation in the management
# these companies. the committee rep
esenting the operators hope to succeed
Consolidation the Only Cure.
A representative Of the carrying in
erests said that II the operators Sc
,ured representation in the railroad
they would then be under
IN obligation of looking out for the in
erests of the railroad in the matter of
ates, as we'll as for the operator in the
natter of the. sale Of coal to consumers.
rhe only way 1t could be done with any
uccess, he said, would be to place the |
anthracite carriers under one board of
and then secure q repre-