The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-12-13

"The past month has been one Of
unusual significance to the anthracite
coal industry" says the December
letter of the Anthracite Coal opera
tors association. THE successful ls-
sue of the efforts to secure for the
operators fair percentage of the
tidewater price of coal, has been an
event. the issue OF which Will bring
many changes for the better in the
methods Of Transporting and market-
ing this important product.
primarily, the advent of new
railroad which will carry larger part
of the individual operators tonnage,
will or should be hailed with JOY
by all of the other transportation
lines. In all the repeated efforts nade
by the operators To secure better
terms from these older companies,
they were told that the contracts then
in force go per cent? resulted In heavy
losses to the purchasing companies
Indeed, one large company stated, ard
endeayored to prove by figures. that
the deficit of it's coal company for the
year in question was made up wholly
from the losses of handling coal on
40 per cent. basis.
Assuming that these various, and
often repeated statements were close
to the truth, these companies should
feel a great relief at the prospect of
having a few million tons of this eX-
tortionate burden removed from their
shoulders. 1t will be fair 10 expect
that, after this change has been made,
the coal operators of the older cont
panies will show large profits.
rr>Xyr, az, DTrpOIgN
1T would be delightful to be able
to wholly believe that this new plan
will prove nothing but a benefit to all,
relieving the other companies of an
Improbable burden; giving the opera
tors a more equitable arrangement
and itself showing fair financial re-
turns. Put there is reason to suspect
that this is not the case. Without
even suggesting that the statements
made 2s to the absence of profit by
the railroads in a 40 per cent. contract
We're altogether false. it would appear,
from the violent opposition To this
plan, that a good case might be made
against these assertions and that the
companies really expect to lose some
thing of exceeding value instead Of
the worthless nothing about which
they formerly talked.
And how unutterably short sighted
they have been. Their policy, had it
been applied to any enterprise other
than one whose assets were in the
stock market, would have ruined it
several times each year. This woul
have happened to the railroads but
for their ability to issue new bonds
and multiple mortgages What folly
1t has beant What mistakes! What
a past 1t should he buried deep, and
with ample sanitary precautions.
1T is best to look at the present
and future. They offer hope and
promise. The new plan is not either
a possibility or probability, but an as
sured and accomplished fact. Con-
tracts have been made, signed and
delivered and others are being made
signed and delivered. True, the rail
road is not yet built, but that is sim
ply a question of time.
AN INNOCENT GAME.
Some of the older companies have
with the foresight for which they have
won fame, been playing that innocent
Children's game. which has no name
but consists in throwing rocks into
the neighhOrs property. 1t is a really
Juvenile amusement and, while II
might annoy, perhaps frighten the lit.
tie ones, those at whom this game is
played, are fully grown and capable
of distinguishing, ana appreciating the
distinction, between real difficulties
and childish spite.
ut may he well to state that this
new railroad is not constructed fol
the purpose of annoying or fighting
the existing anthracite carriers. 1t is
purely a business proposition. Th,
company controlling it has determined
that 1t would be more profitable t,
construct its own railroad and hau
its own coal to market, than to de
pend upon another for this transpor
tation. In providing for itself, it il
natural that it should desire to i'm
with this in view it has made advan
tageous offers to other shippers II
doing this it has violated no law
no agreement and no understanding
but it is furthering the development
of the section of country through
which it will pass. and also aiding il
establishing the anthracite mining in
dustry on a more permanent and prof
liable basis. IT has no desire to en-
ter into fight and no intention of do
ing so unless forced by unwise action
of the other interests. The initiativ
must come from them and theirs vii
be the responsibility for the results.
A GREAT ERROR.
ITO fight on coal prices would b
one of the greatest errors which thes
other interests could make They ar