The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-21
Ii Was Due to the Inability of the
Railroads to Haul the Output
of Mines.
CONFERENCE WITH GOVERNOR
NO CONNIvANCE BETWEEN RAIL
ROADS AND OPERATORS.
j. Smith TalIey Explains the Situation
No Legislation Probable at
This Session.

The joint legislative committee appointed
to assist the Governor in an investigation
of the methods of the coal mine owners.
wholesale and retail dealers in coal and
the coal carrying railroads met yesterday
afternoon in the office of Governor Durbin
and examined the leading mine owners of
Indiana. Thirty-1ve operators were pres
ent at the meeting and a number Of them
were called to state their position i'm rela-
ton to the railroads which transport from
their mines the output Of coal. Not all of
the operators were asked to testify, but
several representative mine owners were
heard.
The joint committee with Senator Og-
born as chairman, and consisting of Sena-
tors Hendee and Fortune, who filled the
place of Senator O'Brien, and Represent
atives Cantwell, Sayre and Settlers, devoted
the entire afternoon to listening TO the
statements of the operators. Among the
mine owners present were: James Nc
Clellan, general manager Brazil Block Coal
Company, Brazil; William Zeller, general
manager McClelland Coal Company, Bra
zil; w. S. FISHER, General manager Craw-
ford Coal Company, Brazil: {. Ehrlich,
general manager G. Ehrlch Coal Company,
Turner; Major Collins, general manager
Collins Coal Company, Brazil; j. Smith
Talley, general manager Coal Bluff Mining
Company, Terre Haute; John Woolley,
general manager Cable * Co., Washington;
5. w. Little. general manager S. w. Little
Coal Company. Evansville; A. Nj. Ogle.
general manager Island Coal Company, In
dianapolis: ]. X. Seifert, general manager
New Pittsburg Coal Company, Chicago;
Jobe Freeman, general manager Block
Creek Coal Company. Linton; Winfield
Sponsler, general manager Island Valley
Coal Company, Linton; David Ingle, gen.
eral manager ID. Ingle Coal Company, Oak
a. wooey cos SompaHy
George Seifert, assistant general manager
Harden-Hafer Coal Company, Hymera;
Hugh Shirkee, general manager Bruilett's
Creek Coal Company, Clinton; j. j. Hig
gins, general manager Oak Hill Coal Min
ing Company. Clinton; F. NJ. Digger, pres
ident Sunfiower Coal Company, Bloomfield.
PROBABLY NO CONNIvANCE.
The members of the committee. after
hearing the testimony of the operators,
practically decided that the present short
age in the coal supply cannot be traced
to connivance between the mine owners
and the coal-carrying railroads. Senator
Hendee said last night that he did not be-
lieve there was even possibility of an I'M
Outstanding between the railroads and the
| coal mine owners. He says the operators
| denied that they were in any way con-
nected with the railroads and that each
| was working independently of the other,
4 anu the CO0ulllOn Oh the ITdQe now COulQ
not be traced to agreements between them.
j. Smith Tally, of Terre Haute, who was
indicted by the grand jury at Chicago in
i the report of the investigation of the coal
combination of that city. was questioned
| by the members of the committee. He de-
MED the existence of an understanding.
/ and said that the operators were not now
getting the benefit of the high price of
| coal. He demonstrated conclusively TO the
| senators and representative that the short
| age of coal Is due to the Intellectual eff
| forts of the railroads to carry away the
| output of the mines. They have plenty
OF coal cars he said, but their locomotive
| the lack of motive power to the fact that
| the weather handicaps the efforts of en-
| gineers to get speed out of the steam ca
! pacity OF the engines, and that the loss of
time on each trip causes loss of much
business and money to the railroads.
Mr.. Tally explained that the majority
| of the coal mine operators had their coal
| sold contract for delivery at prices es-
! tablished last summer. These contracts
| will not expire until April, and until then
/ the operator will not get the benefit of the
| advance in the price on coal. He said a
| certain amount of free coar'-coal for
| which no contract sale has been made-is
| a source of increased revenue TO the oper-
| ator.
The testimony. showed that the operators
who have this free coal can name a rea-
| sonable price for IL and sell II without ef-
| fort. Instances of dealers applying to oper-
ators for coal at any price were related to
| the committee.
| MIX. FhEEMAN
An example of the peculiarities of the
coal situation was described by Jobe Free
man. of the Block Creek Coal Company,
of Linton. The output of the mines con-
trolled by his firm is contracted for by
Indianapolis manufacturers. 1t is impossi-
BILE to transport that coal to this city and
consequently it is not being shipped here.
Instead ii is shipped to Chicago over q
1 10 nf hon hn aa6
is sold there to dealers for a price nearly
twice as large as the price for which II
was mined on contract. Linton is eighty
five miles from Indianapolis in a southerly
direction and the cost of transports tior
between the mines and Chicago is SO l.:
per cent. greater than to indianapolis.
The operators all agreed that the rail
| roads were doing their utmost TO relieve
the situation. They said plenty of Goa
was being mined, more in fact than
year ago. but the fields were compelled t.
tons caused by the strike in the anthra
cite district. This demand for COAL tn,
| fact that the cities of the gas district are
burning coal instead of gas, and tbs
| shortage and there has been no collusioI
that contributed to the stringency.
Senator Hendee said last night that TIL
committee, both Republican and Demo
cratic members. had concluded that NJ
| one is blameable for the situation ant
without something tangible on which L
base proposed legislation little can be done
He said the committee would examine tn,
coal dealers of the State to-day and would
continue the investigation indefinitely
Senator Hendee said that he believed tn
strike of the anthracite miners was re
sponsible for some of the shortage. bu
that many Indianians like himself woul,
because of the strike, which he said wa
based on wrongs that could not have beer
repaired in any other manner.