New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-02-14

Attempt to Get Letter from League
.SecretarY on House Records.

Washington, Feb. 13-Representative Gillespie OF
Texas, made two unsuccessful attempts IN tiie
House to-day to obtain consent to have lncluaeu
in the House record a letter from the Bituminous
Coal Trades League, of Pennsylvania, denounclnS
the alleged combination of coal carrying RAILROADS.
TO control and regulate the output of coal IN the
United States. Both times Representative Payne
Of New-York. objected and Mr.. Gillespie finally
abandoned the effort.
The letter which is referred to a petition for
relief was prepared by Frank C Drane. secretary
TO the Bitumnous Coal Trades League. OF Penn
syIvania Mr.. Drane calls attention to Mr.. GILES
pies resolution and the threatened strike or the
hard and soft coal miners, and declares there has
existed for a long time combination OF the Penn
syvania Railroad with the anthracite and btu
minous coal mining and shipping companies to
stie ali competition In violation of the antitrust
laws.
Mr. Drane says it Is unfortunately true that not
one of his associates in the bituminous league
would be able to give sworn testimony before an
! investigating committee of Congress. as I'VE have
never been able to get evidence sufficiently strong
to enter a suit at law, have been able TO
get the independent operators united so as to
test the Ekins law, many fearing the consequences
the Pennsylvania Railroad officials know so we'll
how to infict upon any operator who dares openly
complain
The independent operator, the letter continues
has to see his mines idle for weeks for want Of
cars and his labor moves to other districts in
search of steadier work Thus, he adds nourlsn-
]
to follow the mine workers to the buster region.
Mr. Drane relates methods by which. he as
serts the railroads have the independent operators
coal delivered at tidewater after such delays as
would cause the consignees to refuse to take It.
Meantime. he adds, purchases would be maze OF
Continuing. the letter declares that nearly all the
soft coal properties have been aGqurea oy the
belief that the Pennsylvania and the New OK
in Virginia nearly ali the stock of the Norfolk and
Western: the NewRiver coal fields and nearly an
mentioned being the only transportation means
from the Wo eds % market d6n fn3t the Rar
and Ohio and the philadelphia and Reading; that
| the Pittsburg Coal Company and the Consolidated
and the Fairmont and Somerset coal Mining CON- CON-
panies. the last two named controlling all the sou
coal fields the lines of the BALTIMORE ana ono,
Central, while Senator German Senator EIkins ana
ex-senator Davis of West Nirglnla are re-, l4lnt
soft coal. and operate about all the mines along
The letter alleges that the Hard Coal Trust and
the soft Coal Trust control all the fields
/ in Pennsylvania and Maryland. except perhaps a
few small tracts operated by individuals on rent or
royalty basis. Continuing, IT asserts that allied
| with the Pennsylvania stands first the Fa1rmont
! Gas Coal Mining Company shipping mostly over
| the Baltimore and Ohio. and that allied with and
! shipping only over the Pennsylvania are FIVE big
| companies alleged TO compose the soft Coal
/ Trust" of Pennsylvania The Pennsylvania Rail
road the letter says. owns, controls or favors
/ these five companies to the exclusion of almost
every other individual company operating blum
inous coal in Pennsylvania except two companies
| the Beech Creek Coal and Coke Company and the
! Rochester and Pittsburg Coal and Iron Company
/ which the letter claims largely owned by the
Vanderbilts Among the five big companies men
toned are
The Keystone Mining Company. controlled by
Congressman George H. HUFF together with Rob
ert X. Cassatt. son of President Cassatt of the
Pennsylvania Railroad; the Columbia Coal Mining
Company. owned and controlled by ]. Gardner
Cassatt, a brother of President Cassatt and the
Jamston Coal Mining Company. owned and con-
troled by David F. Williams. son-in-law OF the
late President Roberts OF the Pennsylvania Rail-
road Company
The other companies mentioned the Penn
sylvania and Westmoreland Coal Company and the
Berwind-White Coal Mining Company. otherwise
known as the Consolidated Pocahontas and New
River Coal Mining Company"
1t is also VIGOROUSLY known and believed" the
letter asserts, that hardly individual of the
pennsylvania and New-York Central roads located
in the coal regions mentioned but an indirect
interest in the mining and shipping Of soft coal"
orators want, II is said is provision in the new
interstate commerce railroad bill that will make
the Interstate Commerce Commission the final
court, with power 10 disclose all determinations
not only as to regulation Of railroad rates, but
also to hear and relieve complaints of shippers
water and combined, and 10 stop Discrimination bv
the railroads and trusts combined by giving the
Interstate Commerce Commission full power In the
premises