New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-16
TO TRY AND BREAK COKE CONTRACT.
CARNEGIE COMPANY SAID TO MAKE FISoNl
$4,000 TO $4,000 a DAY OUT OF THE
FRICK COMPANY.

.,u r,,b 1,-AIthough the suit which II. c.
Frick filed Tuesday to break the oinalng Iorce oi
,ba s.;rorcIad agreement and recover from the car
negie steel Company, Limited. the market Vaiue %
bi holdings In that concern, IS the main line OF at
tack opened by the anti-Carnegie adnerents, the
minority stockholders who are lined up against the
policy of Mr.. Carnegie, 1t is said are certain 10
follow il ND with suit attacking the validity OF the
cole contract OF the Carnegie Company with the
II. c. Prick Coke Company
U-iuiono r Rogers Of counsel. although refusing
to deny or affirm his connection with the big case
is commonly credited with having in charge the
ton os the coke contract end of the matter.
It is expected that this suit will be filed IN Green's
burg as Mr.. Tricks attorneys at that point nave
heen In frequent consultation with attorneys repre-
senting Mr. Frick in this city. The suit. however
I'll, obab1v not he begun for several days yet and
erbans several weeks may elapse before II Is ready
for filing in the courts
The sum of money involved in the proposed suit
Il said TO run up to a gigantic figure The esti-
mated total Of the Carnegie Steel Company's daily
consumption of coke is 900 cars. The Prick COM
many produces about 1900 OF coke day. so that
three-ffths OF the whole to the steel concern
at the low price of 81 IS ton. In other words. the
Carnegie Steel Company. it is alleged, saves from
$4,000 10 $4,000 day. With the cost OF production
of freight and other items of expense in the
manufacture of coke constantly going up. the mi
nority stockholders of the coke company say that
If the contract is allowed to run their profits Will
be eventually cut to almost nothing. The suit then
will ask the court to annul the agreement alto
gether and relieve them from situation that has
been forced upon them by the majority holdings
There is proof yet that service has been
made upon any of the defendants In the Prick
Carnegie suit When to-day Mr.. Scott. coun-
sci for the Carnegie Steel Company refused to give
out any information. AS the defendants not
required to answer earlier than fifteen days after
the bill has been served them, 1t will be seen
that some time will eapse before the plan Of the
defence becomes public.
Mr.. Tricks attorneys have arranged for serving
the bill upon all OF the defendants. This work will
take some time; ordinarily such bills are served
upon the defendants attorneys, who accept service
for their clients. In this case no person will say
who has been served or has accepted service. Mr..
McCook said. however, that it was being done in
the ordinary way. and that considerable time would
be consumed, the defendants scattered to all
points OF the compass. This Is taken indica-
ton that each OF the defendants is to be served
separately, and means that officer of the law
will hunt Mr.. Carnegie at DungeneSs, Fla, the
winter home OF Mrs Lucy Carnegie
1t is said by some lawyers that if Mr.. Frick had
stated in his bill that the Carnegie company was
q limited partnership II would not have been neces-
sary for separate service to be made upon each
OF the defendants. Mr.. Prick. however. made the
charge that the corporation is a general partner
ship, and therefore each separate partner must be
served. 1t was stated that President Schwab had
not gone to Florida and that he would return To
the city Saturday.