Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1906-05-24
COAL CONSUMERS
SAVED Sw25,000,00Q
John Mitchell Discovered Op.
orators Had IS, 900, 900
Tons Stored.
DART OF BAER STRATEGY
Mirc Owners Kept Secret the Amour
CT ~oal on Hand Calling of
Strike Means Much to
the Country.

Philadelphia, May l6.-What have
the people OF America saved through
John Mitcheli's action in preventing an
anthracite strike?
Eliminating the cost in human lives
and injuries. the wages OF the mine
workers and the loss To the wage earn
ers and capitalists in the host of in
dustrial establishments which would
be affected by Il prolonged suspension
and calculating only me extra price
the consumers would be obliged to pay
Tor the reserve stocks Of coal held by
the operators. the saving which has
been accomplished is tremendous.
AT no time during the suspension did
the railroad operators and The indie
pendents give anything approaching a
detailed estimate OF their reserve
stocks. This was kept secret from the
public and the miners as q bit of thu
Eaer strategy with which the battla
was to have been fought.
Eighteen Million Tons Stored.
John Mitchell sought the informa-
ton, and When he could not find it di-
rectly from the companies obtained it
in his way. His investigation satisfied
him that the stocks would have lasted
we'll into the winter, and, at the high
rates which would have been eXtorted
as the strike dragged into the late sum-
Mer, The mountains of coal would have
yielded enormous profits to their odd
erS.
This knowledge va potent in infu-
encing Mitche!l's advice to the mine
workers. He found that within 100
miles of New York city more than
5000 600 tons. mostly domestic sizes,
We're heaped. and that as much more
could be counted upon in the storage
yards at Bridgeport, Port Richmond,
st. Nicholas n other points in Penn
sylvania. and in h output of the OPP
Grated Washeries and collierieS like the
Cayuga, oxford and Bellevue, in Scran-
ton.
Reduction Comes Quickly.
From these 1900, 600 tons 40 cents
per ton has been cut by one brief sem
tcnce from the anthracite trust's head
quarters in the Reading terminal. The
Very day the anthracite miners voted
against u strike.
This announced deduction is from the
list prices; of anthracite, and is far low
err than the real gain to the people.
Calculations upon the 40-ccnt basis
shows thai the people saved at least
$4,000 on the $4,000. 600 tons which
the operators had or would produce.
But h rca! saving to the people. as
has been said, in tie price of coal is
:nuch greater than 40 cents. The retail
price OF domestic sizes fell 90 centS and
of steam sizes IS cents. a ton. Calcu-
lating this saving of 10 cents upon The
total of Is. 0o0. 600 tons shows a grand
total OF ST. Gt. GOO.
Consumers Save s25, 100000.
1t must be remembered that his wa
only h beginning OF the struggle be-
fore Il strike WAS Ven declared. Moth
ing is more certain than that the av-
erage OF 40 cents Il ton over last weeks
prices would have been more han dou-
bled within two rlonthS If q strike had
been declared. h people. in that event.
would have been nlulcted TO the tune OF
more than $50. coo. Gee over and above the
normal cost OF coal.
1t is q fact that independent operators
M owners Of washeries were already
getting advances ranging from 81 to s.
a ton for their steam sizes.
This estimate makes no count OF the
millions of dollars which Mitchell's ac-
tion has saved to the business men of
the anthracite region. nor those other
millions which would have been sheared
from the Investments in al! manner OF
securities. 1t is only Il glance at M
corner of the picture. n corner which
affects every household and factory III
which anthracite coal is a necessity.