Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-17
COAL ROADS TAKE COUNSEL
CLAIM HEPBURN LAW IN.
FLIcTs HARDsHIPs ON THEM.
Wonder What They Can Do With
Their Coal Properties-Would
Test the Law.

NEW YORK. December 1.-THE execu-
tive officers Of number of the coal own
ing and coal carrying roads will meet in
the near future to determine what, If
any. action is advisable or possible to
prevent loss to the public or loss to the
coal roads or both as a result of the pro-
vision OF the railroad rate law practically
commanding every railroad company in
this country to dispose Of its coal prop
critics on or before May l. 1908. The
provisions of this act. railroad attorneys
said yesterday. are so drastic that in the
event Of enforcement of the law in its
present form railroads with hard or soft
coal properties. manufacturing or pro-
ducing interests of any kind or outside
business enterprises Of any nature what
ever, excepting the production of lumber
and the manufacture of products there
from, will be completely tied up In re-
spect to these concerns. They have the
alternative OF ceasing manufacture or pro-
duction on the one hand or running the
chance Of heavy penalties. pending ~ap-
peals to the courts. on the other.
Provisions Of the Law.
The section of the railroad rate bill
which applies Is as follows:
From and after may 1. 1908. il shall be
unlawful for any railroad company to
transport from any state. territory or
the District Of Columbia to any other
state. territory or the District OF
Columbia or to any foreln coun-
try any article or commodity, other
than timber or the manufactured products
thereof manufactured. mined or produced
by 1t or under its authority or which 1t
may own in whole or in part or in which
1t may have any interest direct or In
~ ~
ties as may be necessary or intended for
its use in the conduct Of its business as
q common carrier.
The statute affects railroads all over
the country. but its most important bear
Ing Is upon the railroads with anthracite
coal properties in Pennsylvania. 1t af-
fects the Gould and Hartman lines In the
west, with their extensive ownership OF
soft coal properties. 1t concerns railroads
with soft coal. iron ore and manufac-
turing properties in the south. But prln,
cipally it is of Importance to the Goa!
roads Of the east and the public which
depends upon them for its supply OF coal
for home and factory. Thus, although
western and southern railroads have
deep interest in the enforcement of the
statute, the burden of devsng plan for
the protection of either private or pu. So
interests or both have been left upon the
coal carrying and coal owning roads of
the east
Important Coal Roads.
The most important of these roads are
the Reading, the Lehigh Valley. the Della
ware, Lackawanna and Western, the Jer
sey Central controlled by the Reading).
the Pennsylvania, the Erie and the Della
ware and Hudson. The New York, On
tario and Western Is also Interested as
an owner of important coal properties.
but one of the officers of that road said
yesterday that his company knew moth
ing OF the important consultations that
are in progress.
These so-called anthracite roads own
or control directly or indirectly. 90 per
cent OF the anthracite production OF the
country, and are engaged in the transpor-
tation of practically all of the remainder
on a basis of 65 per cent Of the sales
price Of the mine owner and 30 percent to
the railroad company BY any construc-
ton of the statute, officers OF several of
them said yesterday the companies must
cease mining coal May 1 nett or dis
pose of every interest. direct or indirect.
which they have in coal mining or the
wholesale or retail coal business. Accord
ing to the statute every shipment out
side the State Of Pennsylvania of any
coal In which a company has direct or
indirect interest makes the company
liable 10 q fine of 5000. single car
NAV have half dozen or more shipments
in other words, may make the company
liable to $4,000 or more in penalties In
case a car of coal thus owned or con-
trolled Is shipped out of Pennsylvania.