The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-12-17

compromise was made on seven
years and from that time on the rate
remained at 80 per cent.
incidentally, this raising of the rate
BY Mcleod was his own undoing. j.
Pierpont Morgan had about this time
come to be regarded az the big man
Of the coal world. He was Jealous OF
this reputation and sized up Mcleod
as dangerous rival. The action OF
Mcleod In allowing himself to be used
by the independents as lever for
securing another raise in rates fur.
nished an excuse. If one. indeed vas
wanting FOR Morgan to lay into Me-
Leod and he did 1t with a vengeance.
Mcleod went down under the wreck
or the combine and he has never since
been able to come up. Several times
he pecped above the horizon which en-
circles the railroad world. but each
time Il brick has caused him to duck
and seek seclusion.
THE RATE, WAR.
But to revert to the rate war
All the companies. of course had
to meet the new rate, and when maxi
ing their contracts likewise, were COM
PEELED to be content with a seven-year
term. As 1898, the year of the expira-
tion OF the contracts was approaching.
and the making of new contract was
being discussed the coal carriers, infor-
mally. though emphatically. gave the
independents to understand that when
the new contracts were made they
would have to be for less than 80 per
cent. The carriers declared they could
not afford this rate: that It was Sc
cured by taking them at disadvan-
tage and that as long as the condi.
tions were such as to relieve them
from the danger of similar disadvan-
tageous position they proposed TO right
the wrong that had been done them.
and so on.
The independents replied. informally.
and with equal emphasis. that not only
woulN they not accede to a reduction
of the rate, but that when the con-
tracts were renewed they would have
to be at an advance of ) per cent.
With the carriers declaring that they
would not pay over 81 per cent and the
independents contending for not
less that G5 per cent. the 60 per cent.
contracts expired. Neither side. IT ap-
pears. wanted to force the issue, as
neither was sure of it's ground and did
not want to precpitate the conflict un-
til something should develop that
would give an advantage.
The carriers had gotten together some
time before this and through the man
asement OF J. Pierpont Morgan We're
brought into fairly harmonious work
ing agreement.
PROTECTED ANOTHER ROAD.
The independents saw they would
have to do something desperate or sub
NIT to the threatened reduction. ana
through their association projected
road of their own to tidewater. A COM
pany was chartered. under the corpor-
ate title OF the New York, Wyoming
and Western. options We're secured on
terminals at Perth Amboy and route
was surveyed from Scranton over the
Pocono, across Monroe county. through
the Wind Gap, and thence in an air
line to Perth Amboy.
Coal continued to be carried by
mutual agreement. or rather through
the lack of any agreement, according
to the terms of the old contracts. The
were afraid to carry out their
reduction. because it would
make the independents all the more
desperate, and those of them who We're
hesitating about putting their money
into the Independent road would be
quickly decided by such a move on the
part of the carriers.
The independents who We're at the
head of the new road project could not
bring their fellows to see the success
they felt sure the new road would be
and it had to he dropped. though a
bluff was kept up all the time that the
road would be built, and that it was
anything and everything except the
ack of funds that was delaying it's con-
struction. Once when a creditable story
went forth that the project had fallen
through, it was given quick quietus
by the delivery and distribution of
1000 tons of steel rails along the route
over the Pocono.
The rails are still there. They cost
over $l50,O0O, but, though they never
came in contact with a tie, they We're
not Il bad investment. They served
their purpose, and can be sold any time
for pretty much what they cost.
The carriers We're so deceived by the
steel rail bluff and so thoroughly con-