Omaha daily bee., 1903-04-23
TRUST REFUSES TO OBEY
Coal Companies Ordered 10 Produce Con-
tracts Deny Commissions Jurisdiction.
LAWYER CALLS CONSUMERS WHINING DOG
New York IL Declared TO Get Fue
Cheaper Than PhiIsdeIphia and
f. Scored for OppOsing Pro-
ducers' Prices.

NEW YORK, April 22.-When the Inter-
state Commerce commission resumed its
| inquiry into the alleged Anthracite Coal
trust and it's dealings today the defendant
railroads we're called upon to produce
their private contracts. They refused and
the question of jurisdiction was sent to
the circuit court.
| Mr.. Shearn, counsel for the complainant,
called for all contracts between the
Lehigh Valley road and the Lehigh
Valley Coal company, explaining that
he expects to prove by them the diff
! ferences between the actual price of car
riage charges to that company and the
published schedule price charged to the In
dependent companies. He said the con-
| tracts will show that the Lehigh Valley
Coal company is to receive for all its coal
65 per cent Of the price realized by the coal
at tidewster.
Judge Campbell OF the Reading and Mr..
Kerr of the Ontario & Western protested
that no ouch conditions obtained on their
roads.
Says Contracts show Monopoly.
Mr.. Shearn said the contracts would show
the creation OF a monopoly that the coal
companies have no power over the output
of their mines because they can only get
! rid OF the quantity the railroads are willing
to take from them and the railroads will not
handle the coal in sufficient quantities 10
reduce the prices to consumer.
THE companies" he said. brought the
/ coal to this tidewater for S5 per cent OF the
price of s. per ton and then turned 1t
back again to the coal companies to be
sold for S12 TO SIS ton"
Where do the complaints come from r.
interrupted Judge Campbell From the
independent companies? No. From
the owners of palaces about Central
park the crowded tenement and the busi-
ness buildings in the lower part of the
city. Yes. II the price OF coal is reduced
will your rents be reduced? Not bit Of It.
| Cheaper coal is the hysterical demand OF
your newspaper, not of the thinking public
I'VE will show the people Of New York
the facts. We will show this commission
that for more than a quarter of a century
the people of New York have wrung the
bowels Of the coal regions Of Pennsyl-
vania, practically getting their coal for
nothing, and whine like a pack OF whipped
dogs, when a decent remunerative price IL
asked by the producers. Here is where
the surplus comes. and here the coal il
cheaper than anywhere else. You pay lest
than 1 pay in Philadelphia. You do moi
pay enough and l am hoping to appeal Il
the commission to order the rates on Goa
to tidewater advanced"
/ People. VIII he Grateful.
i We aapreciate Mr. Shearn repiied
"the courteous words OF the rep.
resentative OF the divinely ordained agen
Of God in the coal regions. The people o
New York, OF Buffalo, of Philadelphia anC
of Boston viii be grateful of the compari
son of the whipped dogs, because they oD
| jected to being robbed"
II think the hearing is going beyond ever
the wide limits we purpose to allow" pu
in Chairman Knapp OF the commission.
The commission decided that the Lehigl
Valley railroad should produce the con
tracts demanded. Counsel refused, denyinl
at the same time that Mr.. Shearn had cor
rectly outlined their provisions.
w. W. Ross, representing the Delaware
Lackawanna & Western, also refused sim
liar demand. He declared the Goa
was bought at the mine and that conse
quently the question Of transportation doe
not enter into the contract and the com
mission had no Jurisdiction.
Counsel for the other railroads refuses
to produce their contracts.
The commission certified the point raise
to the United States circuit court, where
decision will be rendered.
George o. Waterman secretary of tn
Central railroad of New Jersey and tn
Lehigh and Wilkesbarre Coal company
II said there are no contracts between tn
companies for the transportation of coal
or for the purchase and sale of coal.
Three witnesses, however. said 1t wa
cheaper to handle bituminous than anthra
!. cite coal at the points Of trans-shIpmen
at tidewater.
MINNEAPOLIS, April 22.-The Interstat
Commerce commission will Investigate tn
alleged discrimination against -four in favo
OF wheat In freight tariffs, which resulte
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