The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1899-01-30
ANTHRACITE COAL DEAL.
schome to Control the output and Inn
prove the Trade.

scheme TO Control the output aud Im-
prove the Trade.
Comprehensive plans for the roadjnstmout
of the entire anthracite coal trade have been
drawn up and arc about to be put into opera
tion. The New York Herald of yesterday
gave the facts which have thus far been
carefully concealed The anthracite railroad
managers for some time haye been at work
on a scheme that is FAR reaching, and the
public will see its first fruits about February
lst or soon after, says the Herald. when an
advance of twenty-five cents ton in all
varieties will be made. This is probably the
only advance that will be made this season.
The controlling interests Of the anthracite
trade having agreed among themselves as TO
the percentages that each Of the anthracite
railroads should mine, they SGT about u make
peace with the individual operators. who in
the past have proved u source Of dem0ulza-
tiun by marketing their coal at consider
ably less rate than the schedule published by
the railroads
The individual operators for some time
stood out for u percentage of sixty-five per
ent of the tidewater price of anthracite
coal as their proportion of the selling price.
/ The railroads refused to Rlve sixty-fvo per
]
sixty per cent to the individual producers
they have reached an understanding with
seventy i've per cent of all the operators to
allow them a larger part Of the tonnage than
they have been getting, on the understand
ing that prices are to be maintained.
By this arrangement the operators will
/ benefit as greatly as the railroads and will
| be able to keep their mines running every
day, where they used to run full time only
perhaps two or three days a week
While the mining companies controlled by
the railroads may not turn out quite so much
coal themselves, still it is calculated that
they will get more money tkan heretofore
for their output and the railroads will be
doubly benefited. They will get just as
much tonnage as before, and they will receive
better tolls.
The settlement with the individual opera
tors solves the hardest problem in connection
with the trade, since the accumulation of the
control Of the anthracite railroads in a few
hands has put an end to reckless competition
and there is no longer any trouble about per.
centages.
The trouble has been to regulate the indi-
vidual operators, who became so high handed
that they threatened to build line of theii
own to tidewater aud make freight rates
and prices that would prove d sastrOus to the
railroads. 1t is understood that this project
will be abandoned and measures will be
taken to see that the operators get their share
of the tonnage, as has been promised
1t is calculated that the middlemen anC
retailers make from 81 to S1.25 on every tor
marketed, which is out of all proportion, tn,
companies say, TO what the dealers SHOULD
make. The companies are not disposed t
take things into their own hands at presen
if the dealers are content with a fair com
pensation.
, As indicating the great benefits that will
accrue to the anthracite coal railroads. unde
the new plan, it may be stated that twenty
{ five cent advance on three-quarters of tn
annual output-say. 100000 tons-mean
81, 500, 600 clear gain, to which no operating
, expenses are attached. This is equal to
four per cent. extra dividend on nearly $500,
600, 900 capital stock.