The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1903-05-04
COAL OPERATOR LOST
HIS TEMPER,
Baer Says Hearst and His Lawyer
Can't Insult Him in Court-Baer
Admits Settling One Strike
To Aid the Republican
Ticket.

New YORK, April 29.-PreSident George
F. Baer was again today a witness be-
fore the interstate commerce commission
| IN its investigation into the complaint
of William r. Hearst against the coal
carrying roads.
Mr.. Baer estimated that S500,oHo tons
| of coal is carried annually by the Read
ing system. j. P Morgan, he said. was
! not one of the men interested in the
Simpson and Watkins project to establish
| big general sales depot for anthracite
| coal He declined to disclose the names
| Of those who were so interested. Mr..
| Baer said he promoted the plan to pur-
| chase the Temple Iron Company, and that
| six railroads were Interested. He suS-
| gested the percentage OF the different
companies and their directors accepted it.
| The plan, he said, was not so broad as to
make the Temple Iron Company the sales
| agent OF the six companies in New York
but it was intended to get rid of the COM
mission men.
His idea, Mr. Baer said. was not to
maintain uniform price for coal at Tide
water, but to get rid of the commission
of 10 cents ton for selling coal. He
had reduced the expense of selling.
No Benefit to Consumer.
But you have not succeeded in reduc-
ing the price of coal to the consumer,
said counsel.
NO" replied Mr.. Baer because you
and your friends have succeeded In rals-
ing wages and getting up the cost or ne
cessities so that profits are less
Mr. Baer said he could produce the
contracts between the Temple Iron Com
pany and the railroads. Counsel for the
tod declined
duce them
'Is there anything in these contracts
Mr. Sfearn asked, that would degrade
or incriminate your
II decline to answer tina. question ne
cause it is iusocnt. There is nothing III
any contract ! have ever made thal
makes me the criminal your client pub
nshed me as being. and he cannot come
into court and insult me You are not
a gentleman or you would not insult
ne"
Il ask the court to rebulSe the witness,
said Mr.. Shearn turning to the coinihls
sion.
The commission declined to rebuke Mr.
Baer. He refused to answer question
" neither the Temple Iron Company mas
paid the Philadelphia and Reading Com
panv II IL cents a ton for ali coal shipped
by it since April TO- 1899
II do say this emphatically," declared
T.
no combine to regulate the price or out
rut of coal between the railroad presl-
cents since I have been president of the
Reading system.
Can Control the Market.
Mr. Baer said he believed he could
control the coal market. He said he had
not consulted any of the'other coal com
pany men but he did not fear that If
he asked s. ton the other companies
would ask any less. They would be fool
ish if they did. he said.
And vet you say there IS competition
in the business" Mr. Shearn asked
competition." MIR Baer replied.
1T is not necessary that competing
merchants should cut each others
throats."
DO the railroads actually compete for
business in the coal regions?"
IN the sense Of building lines to the
colleries they 90 compete In the sense
of under selling each other they do not
] do not believe IN trying to take bust
ness whore tile action must entail loss |
on an existing company without any Ger |
tainty Of profit 70 the new conner If
there is new business ] suppose We can I
compete for t."
Is there any agreement among the
railroads to keep out of each others /
territory in the coal regions "
Mr. Baer said he knew Of no such !
agreement
further examination of Mr.. Baer was
postponed util tomorrow
Baer Coun Make Country Freeze.
New Yor, April 30-President Baer, of
the Philadelphia and Reading railroad
and the Tmple Iron Company, testified
today behre the Interstate commerce
commisso. Alluding to his testimony
ST aV11 vii ne
price OF >al up until it reached S. he
said sale a a given price meant de-
livery whn the month when the order
was PLAID.
"Therehas been a steady increase in
the con:mpuon of coal since 1897 said
Mr.. Bat in reply to question whether
the incase in the production of coal
since Is had not been enormous.
Mr. Ier said the coal road and coal
compars developed an agreement for
miningind distributing coal in summer
for alllines on percentage basis The
( ownc1~)f mines were willing to restrict
The oput, SO the coal road agreed 10
carry II coal in summer az soon as
mined)ut in no when it was found
fha uket would take more were the
cars used. Mr., Baer said:
officiating Coal AMI mon Company
mas rer 10 res ,rlct the output oI us
uine. AS neAu Vi the colpOIduUn L
aAVee power 10 close mines.
- r. Is no percentage agreement that
! no IN snOulu mlne more or Iess, though
lnereas as to tue ulstrlputlon OF cars
III smer
/ Co1lssioner Prouty asked MI Baer if
i'm ring or reducing the coal tra1lc
OF broad Tor a certain month he uId
! not le inIo CONSIDERATION me tranIc
/ nercage as regards other coal roads 5
1 nf month or months previous. Mr.. {
| kaernled that he did. Ills only CON
! cernas about his own properties IN
! dcpe,nt OF all others. I
keing to other questions by various =
! mems OF the commission, Mr.. Baer c
! saidle average royalty paid by MS +
! COMFY in mining coal was 80 to 81 /
/ cent ton
= cost Of mining our coal" he said i
/ 'haaen running at $l.9s ton" b
To.duce the freight rate on hard t
! coal that of soft coal would destroy l.
the aiding railroad o
MBaer said there had never been
anyaetng or agreement to make uni
| forreght rates for anthracite on the L
coapads. Railroad charges, he said n
! sho be such TO enable roads 10
! earrofits representing percentage
| eq;lo the prevailing rate of interest N
He'd the capitalization Of the Read
fat 1,,l hot +lo