Rock Island Argus., 1900-12-31
EFFECT OF BIG COAL DEAL )
New Conditions Tt May Bring About
In Anthracite Field.

In Anthracite Field
The purchase Of the Pennsylvania
CCaI company's great anthracite prop
critics is one of the most important
events in the entire history of the hard
coal industry, so far as this region is
concerned. says q Scranton tPa-) dis
patch to the New York Herald. 1t is
probable that the death of the indie
pendent tide water read will be the
first effect Of this big deal. but TO the
cities and towns of the Lackawanna
and Wyoming valleys the concentra-
ton Of the coal interests and the incl
dental wiping out OF the numerous in
dividual operators. with their company
stores and the truck system of paying
wages. are OF far greater importance.
There is no real deprivation 20 the
business interests of this section in the
abandonment of the so called independ-
ent railroad. The project was conceiv-
ed and pushed forward by the individ-
ual coal operators under the alert and
aggressive leadership of Z. l.. Fuller.
who has recently disposed of his per-
sOnal coal interests to advantage. The
Pennsylvania Coal company, with its
promise of an annual output of 5,OOO,-
600 tons Of coal, was the most promis-
Ing supporter of the project, and with
this important factor out of the way
the railroad enterprise lacks its chief
incentive for completion.
1t is believed in Scranton that the in
dividual coal operator will soon lie n
thing of the past and that the ccnsoli-
dation Of the anthracite business in one
big syndicate will be the elimination
of the present movement. There are
no regrets among the business men of
the anthracite valleys over this result
They feel that it means the passing
away forever of tie company store and
of many other features of the coal busi-
hess which were detrimental TO free
competition. The Pennsylvania Coal
company was not a company store cor
poration. but nearly all the individual
operators have squeezed large profits
out of their workmen in this manner.
In addition to this will come the intro
duction of the regular two weeks pay
day, as provided by the laws Of Penn
sylvania. The frequent distribution of
money among the mine workers in
stead of paying them, as heretofore, in
ham and hard tack is regarded with
great IaNOE SlOIehCtpcIS, WIZ ave
suffered from the unequal competition
of the company store and the "fogging
system"
Some of the operators seem to think
that the concentration of the coal in
terests in the hands of the large COM
panies will mean the withdrawal of
large amount OF money from the coal
region, which, they say, is now spent
In the vicinity of the mines by the indi-
vidual owners. There is. however, no
general apprehension on this score. 1t
is held that If the individual coal op
orators are really interested in the
towns from which they have drawn
their great wealth they will now have
an opportunity to show il in n substan-
tial manner by assisting in the intro
duction of manufacturing industries
which will afford profitable employ
ment.
Officials of the United Mine Workers
of America are much pleased with the
contemplated consolidation Of the an
thracite coal industry. They represent
about 10000 mine workers and main
tain that in the settlement of disputes
between capital and labor 1t is always
best to deal with some centralized pow
er. They also recall that in the recent
mine strike. when the men gained an
advance of 10 per cent. 1t was ]. Pier
pont Morgan. the leading figure in the
present deal. who granted the increase.