The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-09-27
WORST OF MONOPOLIES
Most of the Coal is Sold to the Rail-
roads at the Mines.
THE CONDITION IN THE STRIKE REGION
The Mine Owners Also Have Combination to
Control Their Business Though They
Object to Unions Among
Their Miners.
Chicago Record.)

There has been practically no change
of management in the anthracite coal
regions for nearly thirty years. livery
body admits that the whole system is
awkward and antiquated, and hopes that
the present disturbance may result in
such changes and reforms as will tring
it up to date. To this fact can be traced
most of the friction between the opera
tors and their employees, and the Teja-
lions between the operators are by no
means harmonious. There IS an opera
tors association, although the members
usually consider it necessary to deny
it's existence, probably because they fear
their operatives will use the fact as a
justification for joining the United Mine
Workers or some other organization OF
their own. Nevertheless it has its head
quarters at 26 Cortland street New
York. where the name of the association
is painted upon the door, and Henry S.
Fleming, the secretary, conducts its COR
respondence upon stationery with the ii
tie of the organization and the names OF
fishes a monthly bulletin of statistics
and other information. The mam-
bers of the association meet at leas- once
q month to consider such subjects as may
be submitted and as often as necessary
There is more or less mystery about the
concern. and l have not been able to
obtain a list of the members, but am
informed that it is limited to individual
operators and firms working mines In
the anthracite district and was original
ly organized as it is now maintained, to
fight the railway companies. The latter
do net belong to the association. The
officials pretend to know very little
about it, and speak of it in contemptu-
GUS manner.
The railway companies absolutely con-
troll the coal trade. They regulate prices
and production, and are rapidly securing
ownership of the mines and undeveloped
territory. They are eight in number.
as follows. The Reading, Erie, Ontorio
&Western, Pennsylvania Coal Company,
Delaware & Hudson, Lackawanna & Wes-
tern, Lehigh Valley and Jersey Central.
Although the railroads claim that they
have no pool, or trust, or agreement, or
combination of any kind, they appear to
have an understanding and work togeth-
er with perfect harmony. They share the
traffic in proper proportions and charge
the same rates, which are 40 per cent
of the selling price of their cargoes at
the place of destination. The maximum
haul is $50 miles or whereabouts. That
is. when coal is selling for S. ton the
railway company that hauls it 80 miles
gets So and the producer gets So. The
producer claims that this is an unfair
and excessive charge but is compelled to
pay it or he cannot get his coal to mar
ket. Therefore, nearly all the producers
sell their coal to the railway companies
at the mouths of the mines and take no
further trouble about it. There are some
exceptions, however. Coke Bros, Whit
ney & Kammerer and ]. B. Markle &
Co., three of the largest private opera
tors in the anthracite district, market
their own coal through commission houses
in New York and Philadelphia and make
the best rates they can with the rail-
roads.
These firms and other operators who