The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1905-09-30
COAL TRUST STOCKS
SUPPLY ]. IN RESERVE !! Il
Pretends to Make Extensive
Preparations to Give Battle.
to Miners Union.
Every Storage Yard Near New
York Is 0verstocked on
Eve of Threatened Strike.

New York, Sept. 28.-That the Coal
Trust under the direction of President
Baer, Of the Reading railroad, has taxi
en- the greatest pains to conceal the
vast reserve stock Of anthracite that
It has been gathering for two years
in order to fight the United Mine
Workers of America became evident
yesterday when the reporters 1nvestt-
gated the coal stock Of the Pennsyl-
vania and I.ehigh Valley railroads In
and around New York. It was shown
that the coal roads have massed about
Ii. 900 tons of hard coal, or a years
supply in the immediate vicinity Of
this city, and that by scattering the
storage yards as much as possible the
trust has ben able to accumulate this
gigantic reserve without exciting sus-
picion.
At South Amboy, where the Pennsyl-
vania railroad has it's nard and soft
coal docks, about 100000 tons of an
thracite have been accumulated. which
is about twice as much as its normal
stock at this season. Sixteen elevators,
holding about 10000 tons each, form
the bulk Of this reserve. The elevators
stand about mile back from the coal
piers and out of sight or ordinary
travel.
Another Large Stock Inland.
About: six miles farther finland. at
Runyon, another stock OF coal, about
100000 tons In all, is held In readiness
to be stocked as reserve or shipped
by barge or boat to New England
ports. On the canal piers at South
Amboy, every bin and chute is full to
overlooking. Officials of the Susque-
hanna Coal Company, which controls
this business for the Pennsylvania
railroad say that upwards of 100000
tons OF this stock at present at South
Amboy and Runyon is reserve stock
which has been accumulated during
the last two years. They add that
this stock viii be more than doubled
by the first Of next April.
At Perth Amboy, the Lehigh VAL
ley Railroad company has filled every
bin in it's enormous storage yards, and
along the track it has hundrdeds of
cars waiting to be unloaded. There
are 375 bins each with a capacity of
1000 tons in the Lehigh storage yards.
This gives total capacity to the yard
Of 100000 tons, and at this season when
shipping Is active it is rare that these
bins are more than half full. But now
every pound of coal that the Lehigh
Valley can bring to Perth Arnboy is
stored away to meet the emergency
Of next spring.
A new and enormous storage yard
has. been opened at South Plainsfield
about ten miles away. The South
Plainsaeld yard is as large as that at
Perth AmbQy and is in the same state
Of overflow as the company's yards
elsewhere in New Jersey. 1t is esti-
mated that the Lehigh Valley road
alone has more than million; tons
Of reserve anthracite near New York.
Position Almost lmpreenable. -
This enormous surplus taken with
the vast stores that the road has
stored in Pennsylvania and New York,
will make its position almost impreg-
nable in case of q strike in the spring.
Our stock of hard. coal Is large"
said superintendent Scully of the Sus-
quehanna Coal company, at South Am
hoy, but it is not nearly large enough
should there be a strike this coming
spring. We would probably double
our reserve here between now and
April If there is to be a fight with the
miners. But our officials are hoping
that trouble may be averted, and that
normal conditions will continue as in
the past three years."