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

not now in a financial position to do
this and further, where In all the
rules of logic and business common
sense is there a justification for a
course which mesns heavy money
losses with no greater ultimate result
than could be obtained by a frank un-
derstanding in the beginning. II II
were a case where the position of each
was unknown to the other, then n
fight might be good policy to develop |
the strength of both. But in this case
the strength of each one is already |
known. and a fight would mean losses |
without any compensating advantages. |
"The prime mistake has been that |
of leaving the settlement of a purely |
commercial problem in the hands of |
railroad men. The entire training Of |
the president of a transportation com
pany is against him in n problem of |
this kind. Even il they could all have |
been brought into a board of control, |
they would have been unable TO prop |
erly perform that duty. Every propo-
sition, every agreement would have |
contained an expressed or silent If
Indeed, should this not be the case
their understood duties to their re-
speCtive companies would not have |
been properly performed As railroad
men they must actively further every
opportunity for new business and take
all steps to prevent a competitor from
entering their field
ITO obtain the greatest amount of
traffic they have to engage in brisk
competition, and in the whole history
of railroadinE there was never an
agreement which did not contain an
If and which was not broken when
one or another suspected that, in the
development of its system or i'm the
making of a new deal. such agreement
hampered its actions.
DIRECTLY THE REVERSE.
"The anthracite proposition is direct
ly the reverse of this. 1t is a product
mined in q limited and comfortable
area, with a fixed market. 1t is alto
gether a commercial and not railroad
question, and requires for its solution
a head which appreciates it from that
point of view, and which can, and will.
act with decisive, vet cautious, busl-
ness judgment, and without being ar
bitrary in it's dealings with the pub
! lie, yet will firmly maintain its posi-
! tion and keep productions and prices
| profitable to the producers and trans
| porterS
How in finitely wiser and better 1t
would be if the entire anthracite pro-
| duct was purchased and marketed by
one company. The saving in agencies
I and commissions, and the market sta
! bility which could be secured, would
within a short time bring every pare
| nf tho iDdnCtrN- on n ha aciS hn-
sides proving extremely profitable to
the selling company. Il is not such q
difficult proposition, nor one which
presents insurmountable obstacles for
its accomplishment. The sales sheets
of each company show the distribution
of their product and the average price
at tide.
Assuming that the mines receive a
certain percentage of this. the pur-
chase price is established for the opcr-
ators on the line Of each railroad. The
| companies books show their net re-
turns, including their proportion Of
fixed charges, at the mines, for coai
mined by themselves and shipped to
| tide, line points and other markets
thus establishing their purchase price.
Due allowance could be made for sup
ply coal.
QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION.
1t would be a question for dis
CussiOn whether these prices should
| be paid to each, or a general aVerag gn
| found for different regions, or for eli
Of the regions. In the matter of trans
portation, each company has hauled a
certain percentage of the total pro-
duCtion. This could be guaranteed
with an arrangement by which, If
found eXpedient to ship more than it's
due proportion over one line a certain
return should be made to the roads
carrying less than their percentage. In
the matter of freight rates, a fixed rate
could be established t. each point, by
each line.
working out such Plan is simply
a matter of detail. 1t could be done
Sc as to maintain the market price Of
coal at fair figure, to pay the COM
panies and operators the same price,
or more, than they can now obtain; t.
give the companies the same freight
returns they now secure, and to the
profit Of the central selling company,
The only factor to overcome is the
unwillingness of the various interests
to enter into it in a spirit of fairness
and good intent. Its accomplishments
would mean GiVidends,as against pres
ent losses"