Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-11-16
1893, 1140& 1142 NJ .RKETST.
AGAINST TIE C. & O.
Coal Men Charge That Discrimination is
Practiced Against Them Contracts AL
legged to Have Been Broken.

legged to Have Been Broken.
A special from Washington says:
The Interstate Commerce Commits
sion on November % will investigate
the charges made against the Chesa-
peake & Ohio Railroad Company by C.
G. Blake, coal operator and dealer of
Cincinnati. The commission will di-
rect an investigation on the following
points:
Ffrst-Transporting coal from mines
in West Virginia to Cincinnati at less
than the published tariff rates.
Second-Exacting greater charges
from Blake and others than it has from
the G. & o. Fuel Co. for transporting
coal from the West Virginia mines to
Cincinnati
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. in transport
tatlon facilities in favor of the G.. & o.
Fuel Co. against Blake and others, in
Guiding preferential and unjust appor-
tlOnment or allotment of cars at the
mines for loading and shipment of
coal, and at times absolute neglect to
furnish cars within reasonable time
to the mine operators not connected
with the c. & o. Fuel Co.
These charges created no surprise
among the West Virginia operators.
For months the utmost dissatisfaction
has existed. The operators claim to
be bound hand and foot by NJ. E. In
gals, president of the G. & o. They
claim that he, through his railroad,
has gone into the coal business for the
purpose of monopolizing the West Vir-
ginia trade.
The C. & o. drains two important
coal fields-the Kanawha and New
River. The first attempt of the G. & o.
to handle coal in the way of monopoly
resulted in the 4nEganizatiQn. of the c.
pas previously been in the alu, VINO
the Z. & 0. railway, but drifted into
the coal business in Cincinnati, became
the leading spirit and representative
OF ingalls, in the organization of the
Z. u o. Fuel Co. Macdonald is presi-
dent. The manager of the new COM
pany was taken from the traffic depart
ment of the G. e O. in Cincinnati it
being claimed that he was fully ac-
quainted with the wants of all the
KanaWha valley operators, VINO it is
alleged joined issues or the purpose of
having uniform freight rates. The c.
& 0. Fuel Company's grip on these
operators has been merciless.
ingalls,, it is charged, made contracts
with the operators but kept his agree
ment only when he saw fit; when he
wanted to break a contract he broke
1t. II he did not care to deliver cars
to mines of certain operators, he made
an excuse by saying that there were no
cars available; this placed the opera
tors at the mercy of ingalls,. Ere
quently the disguised operators in
whispers talked of getting together to
hight ingalls,, but apparently no one
had the courage to combat the mil
Honaire G. & O. president.
Having corraled the Kanawha valley |
operators into the c. 6 O. Fuel Co. |
ingalls, next set about to combine the |
New River people, and a few weeks |
ago IN Charleston there was organized |
The New River Consolidated Coal |
Company" with an authorized caDital !
OF $25O,O00, with J. Fred Effinger. of i
stanton, Va, as president. The cap
1tal represented is Appropriated at |
$4.000,000. After November l, it IS |
stipulated that the entire production |
of coal and coke Of the forty plants in
the New River district should be sold |
by the new company through its
agents. All contracts previously made |
by the different companies were to be
assumed by the new organization and
carried out. The board of directors
has absolute control Of the output of
the mines and will manage the bust
ness through an executive board. 1t is
claimed that the benefits resulting do
away with competition between rival
companies; equalize rates a. uIti-
mately will bring an increase in profits
by removing the individual as a dis
turbing element. If this combination
of operators has the cooperation of
the C. & o. and the railroad and the
New River organization are to work
in harmony.
When Mr. ingalls, completed this
combination it is claimed he executed
a master stroke for himself At pres
ent under the arrangements. the c. &
o. simply plays with all the big opera
tors. and as above stated, ingalls, keeps
or breaks his contracts as he chooses.
Of course, the c. & 0. is reaping rich
profits. but it is claimed that the tyr
amy practiced will ultimately result
In combination of dissatisfied opera
tors strong enough to thwart the pur-
pose of ingalls,. 1t is claimed that the
various sales agents and managers in
Cincinnati while ostensibly in the en-
ploy of coal companies, are really c.
& 0. railroad employees. Thus under
the guise of coal companies ingalls,
holds in the palm of his hand the mine
owners of two of the greatest coal
fields of the world; i. e., the New River
and the Kanawha valley districts.
Blake, it seems, has had the courage
to do what several other operators
would like to do-appeal to the Inter
State Commerce Commission-and the
result will be watched with great in
terest. 1t is believed that ingalls,
knows that he cannot hold his grasp <
very long, and proposes to coin all the
money he can while his grin holds
good in the West Virginia fields. &