The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-02-26
THE COAL ROADS
IIsIuEInvsStIgatsd -'rhs Alleged Combine
BsGore I.e1oNK.

Beiug gInyestlgntRu--IheAi Ailegeu C0hhpthe
Before LexoNv.
NEW YORK. Feb. 25.-The alleged
coal combine was the special object Of
inquiry to-day by the joint legislative
committee on trusts. President Sam
Sloane, Of the Delaware, Lackawanua
& Western Railway Company, was on
hand early, having been served with a
subpoena. He was the Grst witness
called. In reply TO question by sena-
tor Lexow, Mr.. Sloane said that con.
ference of coal road men was held in
this city In 1896. The Philadelphia &
Reading, Lehlgh Valley, New York Gem
tral, Delaware q Hudson, the Pennsyl'
Vania, the New York, Lake Erie 4
Western, the New York, Ontario q
Western and other railroads were rep.
resented at the meeting. Witness sai9
that the conference lasted several
hours and that II was understood that
every man in the conference had pledS-
ed his honor to maintain the allotments
apportioned them In the coal carrying
trade.
Witness was questioned at length re-
EardIng the price Of coal and Its tluctua-
lions. but failed to throw any light on
the subject, always referring the par
tlcular matter Of inquiry to some other
official He said however, that ne
thought the combine had right to iix
the price OF its own commodity.
President Thomas, OF the Erie road.
was the next witness. He said his road
had received per cent allotment OF
the coal to be carried by the combine.
HAS It not come to your notice that
these sales agents meet and fix q uni
form rate?'
at has not"
as there n Uniform rate?"
81 am sorry 20 say there Is not.
Witness said that the restriction OF
output increases the demand for coal
among the consumers.
"The question OF the amount OF coal
to be produced was never discussed az
any meeting that have attended"
added President Thomas, who denied
that the purpose Of the conference IN
1885 was raising the price OF coal. ne
admitted that the question was discuss.
ed, but no definite action, he said, had
been taken in that rcgard.
Richard H. Williams. genera! sales
agent for the Erie railroad testified
that II was customary for sales agents
TO meet in conference and discuss the
output for the succeeding month. He
recalled three or four such conferences
and admitted selling directly to re-
tnilers.
"Why was It that the coal was in
creased twenty-five cents ton after
the conference in 1884"
because we considered the price too
low at the time"
Witness did not know the rate OF
wages paid 10 coal miners.
The subject Of combination IN the
coal trade was dropped temporarily
while the committee listened to the
testimony OF Francis II. Rrenning' g
wholesale grocer doing business at 81
Louis, regarding his experiences with
die sugar rehnerIes. NIr. Krennlng
said that he had refused to accept the
factors agreement in vogue by the
American Sugar Refining Company. and
In consequence could not procure that
company'S product without paying an
extra charge OF thirty cents per barrel:
He Identified copy Of the factors
agreement, without which, he said, no
retailer OF sugar In st. Louis could
possibly continue in the sugar business.
In reply to question by Senator Nc
Carren, witness said that the factors
had to choose between selling the pro-
duct Of the American Sugar Refining
Company and foreign sugars.