The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1902-06-05
HIGH PRICE OF COAL
Six Railroad Masnates Said to Control
Output and Sales.

WILKESBARRE, June 4-There
is coal trust. 1t has created a
monopoly in the anthracite bust
ness. 1t is operating in restraint
of interstate commerce. 1t is vi
olating the federal law.
The methods employed by the
monopoly are very simple. Prob
ably without written agreement,
and with that tacit understanding
which is one of the most effec-
tive instruments of this age OF
community of interests, the coal
railroads work their practical and
most effective combination in the
manner following:
Representatives of all the com
panies meet in regular monthly
conferences. They are too pru-
dent to keep minutes or records
of any sort. But they fix the
price of coal for the ensuing
month, and no one deviates from
the schedule. They decide upon
the quantity to be marketed by
each road. The railroad passes
the word along to its own mine
managers and to the "indepen-
dent" operators. so that the quota
need not be exceeded.
The capacity of the mines in
the anthracite field is about 65, :
000, 900 to 10000, 900 tons a year.
There are men enough here to
take out that quantity, railroads
enough to haul it to market. But
the output last year was only
80, 000,0 900 tons. The public
would consume no more because
the prices were so high. There
may be more money for the mon
opolists in small output and high
price, but if competition were
permitted. if the natural laws of
trade were free to take their
course, prices would be lower
and more hard coal would be
burned, to the great benefit of
the public and the men who dig
the coal and now work only 200
days in the year.
Most of the railroads are min
ers on their own account or
through the flimsy device of a
subsidiary local company" Of
course it is easy to limit their
own output, and naturally they
haul to market and sell their own
product. About three-fourths of
all the hard coal produced each
year is mined by the railroads.
While the remaining one-quar-
ter is mined by so-called ''inde-
pendent" operators. they are iu-
dependent only in name.
Men who own coal mines are
offered their choice of methods
marketing. They may ship their
coal and sell it themselves. If
they adopt this course they find
the freight rates are Unfortunately
high. Rates on hard coal are
from two to three times those
charged per ton mile on soft coal
says the United States Industrial
Commission. A large firm of
miners, Coke Brothers & Co.,
carried their complaint to the in
tc.state commerce commission in
a notable case, and that commits
sion. finding the rates excessive.
ordered a reduction. The order
was never complied with. To
protect themselves Coke Broth
ers & Co. built short railroad of
their own, the Delaware, Sus-
quehanna and Schuykill. Thus
they forced their way into the
railway pool, and now they have
joined the combination.
Ifan operator attempts to stand
out against the combination he is
not only charged excessive
freight rates, but he has difficulty
in securing cars in which to serd
his coal TO market, this difficulty
becoming almost insuperable if
he cuts prices at tidewater.
DECLARES SCOURGE IN STATE