The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-06-28

At least one hundred representative
business men from towns and cities
throughout the anthracite coal fields
will be in Scranton today to attend the
hard coal" convention. Mt. Carmel
men who originated the convention
idea insist that the number of dele
gates will approach two hundred.
| Their estimate is not extreme in view
Of the fact that every board Of trade
| and business mems organization in the
anthracite fields have, with but one or
| two exceptions, elected or appointed
| delegates. over forty organizations
will send from two to ten or more
| delegates each.
The convention will meet at o'clock
| this afternoon in the board of trade
| rooms. No plan for its permanent or
| temporary organization has been made,
| nor has any set programme of bust
ness been laid down. only one fca-
| ture If the gathering has been settled
| and that is its object:
"To make an attempt to bring about
| a better condition of the anthracite
coal trade and thereby give the miner
more work and better wages and re-
| store all the business interests Of the
| coal region towns to old-time prosper
| ity."
PLAN OF OPERATION.
In convention circulars and dis
CussiOns many methods-nearIy al! of
! them involving a fight i'm one way or
another against discrimination in
freight rates by the railroads and their
restriction on output-have been sug-
Gested. a certain element contends
that low rates of haulaEc on soft coal
are made in violation of the law and
that the convention should take a test
case to court or before the interstate
| commerce commission.
In the Scranton region it is argued
| by many that support of the proposed
new COal-carrying railroad from this
| city to tidewator would bring the re-
suit desired. If the new road cuts the
haulage rate its coal would find a mar
ext and competing lines from all parts
Of the anthracite field would have to
meet the rate or let, the coal along
| those lines lie in the mines.
| A uniform low haulaGe rate once es-
tablished would give anthracite inter-
ests fairer hold on the market in
| competition with soft coal and would
facilitate the work of forcing all the
| railroads to carry the hard product
proportionately Is cheap as they now
carry btumnous. The difference in the
rate now is mills per ton per mile
and the soft coal fields are many miles
farther from tidewater.
From these views. selected at ran
dom from among several which seem
the most fancied, it can be seen thai
today's convention attracts the interest
Of railroad, coal and business people
and the laboring element in peculiar
and different ways. 1t is stated that
railroad and coal agents from New
York and other cities will be here tC
watch the proceedings for the purpose
of reporting to their principals.
SCRANTON DELEGATES.
Scranton will he represented in tn,
convention by the following board ot
trade committee: President Luthe
Keller, Secretary y. B. AthertOn. II. f
Paine. Colonel Meredith l.. Jones, Col
onel f. l.. Hitchcock, Thomas II. Dale
and John NJ. Kemmerer. They vii
confer at II o'clock this morning in the
board of trade rooms.
Wilkes Barre. Pittston, Taylor. Jer
myn, Carbondale and Parsons will b,
among the towns and cities of tn
LaCkawanna valley which will he rep
resented There will also be delegates
from boards Of trade or similar organ
izations of Mt. Carmel, Shamokin
Locust Gap, Centrala, GirardvillC
Mahanoy Plane, Shenandoah, Mahano.
City, st. Clair, Pottsville, Minersville
HazletOn, Mauch Chunk, fremont
Frackville, McAdoo, Williamstowr
Audenried, Gilherton, Nanticoke, Trev
orton, Freeland.
Whatever difference may exist as t
method among the trade bodies named
they are a unit in opposition TO an