Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-13
MR., TORREY TEST|F|ES
General Sales Agent D. and
d. Coal Company.
FIXING OF PRICES
BASED ON SALES IN NEW
YORK.
His Company Has Nothing to Do With
the Retail Price Of
Product.
FIXING OF PRICES

PHILADELPHIA. January 13.-The first
witness called before the coal strike COM
mission today was Thomas F. Torrey OF
New York. general coal sales agent Of the
Delaware and Hudson company, who told
as far as he knew the prices of coal at New
York He was first examined by Commits
sioner Watkins He said his company has
no control of coal prices in New York. All
the company's coal for tidewater Is turned
over to the Hillside Coal and Iron Com
pany. owned by the Erie railroad, at Car
bondale. and coal for the west is turned
over to tine Erie at Honesdale. The Della
ware and Hudson company is working with
the Erie company under the 65 and 50 per
cent basis, just the same as the Independent
operators were doing prior to the abrogation
of their contract
The contract between the Erie and the
Delaware and Hudson is still In force. The
Delaware and Hudson gets 65 per cent OF
the average tidewater price Of coal at New
York on the New Jersey side, and the Erie
gets the other IS for the transportation and
expense of selling the fuel. The circular
tidewater price is s.. and 1t costs about 20
or 25 cents a ton to transport 1t from the
New Jersey side to New York.
No Control Of Retail Price.
Continuing, Mr.. Torrey said the Della
ware and Hudson had nothing to do with
the retail price OF coal in New York, and
all his information about such prices was
mere hearsay. In answer to Commissioner
Clark, witness said the Delaware and Hud-
son sells direct to dealers and distributing
houses in New York state and New Eng
land. He further said that the Delaware
and Hudson derived no benefit from the
abnormal retail prices of coal.
During the examination counsel for the
miners endeavored to get the witness to tell
something about freight rates. but the COM
mission ruled out the question.
Many questions were asked which Mr..
Torrey could not answer. but he promised
to bring before the commission docu-
Of coal in 1901 and 1902 and the prices now
In vogue where the Delaware and Hudson
sells coal.
James P. Dickson Recalled.
James P. Dickson, freight agent of the
Delaware and Hudson Company at Wilkes
barre. who made an investigation regarding
the prices of groceries. meats. other neces-
saries of life and the consumption of liquors
in the Wyoming and Lackawanna valleys.
who was on the stand yesterday, was re-
called. Counsel for the miners objected to
that part Of the statement which included
the consumption of liquor. because 1t in
cluded the entire population.
If the witness could show how much the
miners consumed there would be no OBJ
lection, but counsel did not want the en-
tire liquor consumption charged to the
miners. The commission excluded the
statement because it did mot show a per
capita consumption.
E. W. Porter. station auditor of the
Delaware and Hudson Company at Wilkes
barre, who made an investigation Of the
wages of mine workers In the bituminous
regions, was called.
He had investigated the wages paid by
the Victoria Coal and Coke Company Of
West Virginia, the Buffalo, Rochester and
small company at Brockwayville, Pa. The
miners objected to the testimony because it
was not original, and the commission de-
cided that it would examine the statement
before admitting 1t.
Miners Who Own Their Homes.
- w. L. Lawrence of Scranton, real estate
agent Of the Delaware and Hudson, said
1,O39 Of the company's 1851 miners own
their own homes, which have a total valua-
tion of 81. 800 161.
DR.. w. G. Fulton. surgeon In the Lack
awanna Hospital at Scranton, said the oc-
cupation of mine workers so far as health
fulness Is concerned compared favorably
with the majority of other occupations.
Census reports, he said, show that acci-
dents among railroad men are per cent
greater than among miners
DR.. Fulton denied that rheuma tism was
prevalent among miners.
A recess was then taken,