The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-04-30
'T'OlI.B|,.E ||::'.HICHE,R,
SAYS S 4 BA 4. /: ] :
Declares Price Of Coal VIII.
Be Further Advanced.
TALKS d 6 COMPETITION
Says the Railroads Compete for Busl-.
ness, but % Not Out Each Others
Throat--U ses Plain Language
to LAWYER A '
'tBy Associated r,rcss.)

Wy AbbOClaLeu EEcshJ if 54S
NEW y DIRK. April 29.Tho Interstate
Commerce Commission to-day resumed
Its hearing into the complaint Of WIZ
liam Il. Hearst against tho anthracite
coal-carrying railroads.
president Baerj OF the Philadelp1lin and
Reading Railroad was again called to.
the witness stand, He explained the
operations Of the Temple Iron Company,
saying It was Intended to get rid Of tho
commission men, lie declined to produce
the contracts between tho Temple Com
ipanyland tho railroads
lis there anything In these contracts
Mr.. Shearr asked, that would degrade
5uild incrmlnate your" 85
I'll decline to answer that question be-,
cause 1t Is lnsolent. There Is nothing IN
any contract i ever made that makes Ike
me the criminal your client published me
as being, and llet cannot come into court
and insult3me. You arc not ~ entlemnn,
or you would not insult me. u
NO POOL OR aCONrBTNATION.
Mr.. Baer said the directors Of tho Temple
control the different colleries In the Tenn
pie system. At their meetings, he said,
there was never any discussion about the
price and output OF coal. Ia
III do say most emphatlcally, he went
on, there has been no pool and no COM
5bination to regulate the price or output
of coal between the railroad presidents
since I have been president Of the Read
ing system 4 AZ n
The price Of coal sold by the Philadel-l
phia and Reading Coal Company, he said,
was fixed after general consultation
with the general coal agents and sales
agents.. The8F other companies pursued
a like course. u He added: II thought we
were the strongest people, and 1 fixed the
price and compelled the other dealers to
do the same. Thy accused me OF heing
arbitrary. and I admit that perhaps I
was arbitrary, but I felt that It was ne
scessnry.' & II 5Sfj is5 7is4
He said the price Of coal had been raised
fifty cents ton because the cost OF pro-.
ducton had Increased.
54''You have fixed the rate at $3.50 q ton r
WILL BID ITIGHDR YET.
Yes%a and on May 1st. am going to adj
vance the price ten conts and try to work
1t up to S. That will be a fair price and
give us a profit. If II can't get that price
I'll have to come down. II the market will
take It at IS, the price will not be res
iduced." Il F3sg
4 M !. l3aer& Salu SIe peileNeu ne CS'uiu hColl.
troll the coal market He said he had not
consulted any OF the other coal company
mon. but he did not fenr II he asked IS
a ton. the other companies would ask any
less. 1t would be foolish II they did. he
said. 5$@I /.
'.And yet you say therois competition
In the business. = Mr.. Shearn a sked.
as"Of course there Is. fair and square
competition, Mr.. 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
collieries, they do compete. In the sense
OF under selling each other, they don't"
Is there any agreement among the rail-
roads to keep out Of each others terri
tory in the coal regions Al
Mr.. Baer said he knew Of no such agree.
nlent, atr ga s.3fEa