Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1903-01-17
BAER ON FUEL FAMINE
Tells Mayor Low Companies Are Do
ing Utmost to Supply Coal.
CAN'T CONTROL INDEPENDENTS
President of Reading Says His Com
panies Will Continue to Sell Coal
at Present Prices and Will Protect
the Public

New York, Jan. IA. - Mayor Low
and representatives of the coal car
rying railroads held an hours confer
ence yesterday to discuss the coal sit
uation in the five boroughs of Greater
New York. The railroad presidents
present were George F. Baer, of the
Reading; F. ID. Underwood, of the
Erie; Fowler, of the Ontario and
Western, and Thomas, of the Lehigh
Pennsylvania Railroad. John B. Mar
kle represented the independent op-
orators.
Mr., Baer. explaining the position OF
the coal roads, said:
'Mr. Mayor keenly appreciate the
anxiety of the public to secure an ad-
equate supply of anthracite coal.
can say, with clear conscience, that
the companies l represent have done
and are doing all that it is possible
for them to do in relief of the situa-
ton. The unfounded assumption that
there is a coal combination of which
l am the reputed head is daily made
by certain newspapers. There is no
such combination. l am responsible
for the acts of the companies of which
am the president, but am powerless
to control the action of the other COM
panies and of the individual operators.
'The companies 1 represent have
steadfastly adhered to the policy OF
selling coal to the public at reason
able prices. To protect the public I
have given notice to every dealer that
II he sells any of the coal purchased
from our companies at unfair prices
(by that l mean at price in excess
of the normal profit which a dealer is
entitled to receive) we will arbitrarily
refuse to deal with him in the future.
Some OF the dealers assert that this is
arbitrary, and that we have no right
to impose such terms. Under ordinary
conditions l admit that such action
would be arbitrary. II it turns out
that under the technical laws of the
/ land the enforcement of such an order
will subject us to an action for DAM
ages 1 have nevertheless concluded to
take that risk.
Fault has been found with the coal
companies because they have failed to
compel the individual operators to sell
coal at reasonable prices, but so far
no one has ventured to tell us how
we can do it. 1t is easy to start out
with the false assertion that we have
the power, but it is not so easy to
show where we get 1t, or how we can
enforce it. The prices at which coal
is sold by the operators to the large
no n f0 h.
market price, New York harbor. Some
OF the operators point to the fact that
many others have sold their coal at IS
per ton, whereas the circular price of
the larger companies I. o. b. New York
is only IS per ton. Litigation was
threatened. The coal company bav-
ing thess contracts was compelled to
face this contingency. Should the
courts decide that the price at which
we sold the coal purchased from the
individual operators was not the mar
ket price, but that the market price
was the highest price at which coal
was sold in New York, then there was
a possibility Of having to pay from SO
to 81 per ton more for this coal than
we received. In justice to our stock.
holders we could not assume any such
risk, and no fair-minded man could ask
US to do it.
But. without reference to the price
at which any one else sells coal, the
Philadelphia and Reading Coal and
Iron Company and the Lehigh and
Wilkesbarre Coal Company will con-
tinue to sell their coal at the present
circular price, and will endeavor (as
they have for the past two months) to
prevent coal dealers from charging
unfair prices on the coal these COM
panies sell to them.
THE real cause Of the present scar
city of coal and our inability to meet
the public demand, lies in the fact
that no coal was mined during the
summer months, and none was, there
fore. stored for use during the winter.
We are compelled in the winter
months of this year not only to pro-
vide the normal output of the winter
months, but to overcome the deficit
caused by the non-storage of coal in
the summer months
1--WE have dealt fairly with New
York in the distribution of our coal.
" . nave u lOu W hccp uOWn the DTlC0.
Early in the fall, before the strike
ended. at the suggestion of Mr.. De
Forest. directed the whole output of
one of the Temple Iron Company's
collieries to be sent to New York in
relief OF the poor. We have responded
to every call to the utmost of our abil-
ity.
1--WE cannot ship all Of our coal to
New York. The whole of raiddle and
southeastern Pennsylvania, with its
large and small cities, and with it's
| multiplied industries, are dependent
upon us for fuel. We have done our
utmost to get bituminous coal 90 re-
lieve the situation. What more we
can do in relief of your city, Mr..
Mayor, we will do. Wherever a prac-
teal suggestion of help is made to that
we wall give hearty response"
It was finally agreed by all the coal
men present that they would do their
utmost to expedite and increase the