The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1907-09-02
MAKE GENERAL DENIAL
COMPANIES Assert No Anthracite
d -s"~.@ Monopoly Exists.
ANSWER TO FEDERAL SUIT
Price of Coal Were Brought About
Strikers and Other Causes.

0lFikCFS ana otnGF SdlSCB.
Philadelphia, Sept. 2.-The Reading
company, the Philadelphia and Read
Ing Railway company and the Phila.
delphia and Reading Coal and Iron
company have filed their answers to
the suit of the federal government to
break up the alleged monopoly exist
ing in the anthracite coal regions of
concerns, of which George F. Baer is
president, make general denial OF
the governments allegations and go
into the first great strike in the hard
coal fields and it's relation to the pres
idential campaign of 1900 when Me-
kinley was elected.
1t is declared that the agreements
to advance the price of coal were
brought about in 1900 by the violence
and intimidation of the striking mine
workers. by the failure of the United
States government and the state OF
Pennsylvania to enforce the law and
protect the coal companies and the i'm
portunities of the late Marcus A. Han
ma, who, it is alleged, was anxious to
end the strike OF the miners on ac-
count Of the impending presidential
election.
General denials are made of the con-
spiracy charged in the answer of the
Reading company and that of the rail-
way company. The answer of the
Coal and Iron company takes up the
strike Of 1900 and says that substan-
TALLY all the workmen in the anthra-
cite regions abandoned their work un-
der the force effect of violence, turbu-
lence and intimidation and the en-
ployer and workmen OF this defendant
and others in the same neighborhood
were induced or compelled by like vio-
lence, turbulence and intimidation to
abandon their employment.
Hanna Makes Representations.
The answer goes on to say that
shortly afterwards it was represent
ed, in substance to the officials OF this
defendant and representatives or other
mining companies by one Marcus A.
Hanna, acting as chairman Of the Re-
publican national committee, In the
then pending political campaign for
the election Of candidates for presi-
dent and vice president of the United
States, that if the said strike should
not be speedily settled by an advance
in the wages of the workmen in and
about the entire anthracite region the
strike would extend to the states of
Ohio, Indiana and Illinois and that the
election of Mr.. Mckinley and Mr..
Roosevelt would De thereby endan-
gercd.
The answer declares that Mr.. Hanna
represented to the officials Of the COM
pany that he was authorized to settle
the strike through President Mitchell
of the Miners union If the operators
would agree to give their workmen
10 per cent increase in wages.
1t is set forth that the company did
agree to advance the wages OF its
mine and colliery workmen 10 per
cent and that the other principal mine
owners who had been in conference
with Mr.. Hanna had agreed to the
same concession.
Continuing, the answer AYERS that
all the conferences between the oper-
ators and the contracts which resulted
therefrom were wholly brought about,
compelled and forced upon this de-
fendant by the turbulence, violence
and intimidation aforesaid, by the fail
nf hn nj
States and that of the commonwealth
of Pennsylvania
To Enforce the Laws
to protect this defendant and it's work
men in the peaceful and lawful pros
ecuton of their work and by the inn
portunities of the said Hanna In the
supposed exigencies of the pending
political campaign, whereby this de-
fendant was obliged, most unwillingly.
to bly, its peace and the peace and
protection of its workmen by the said
advance in wages; and that the said
conferences We're in no way whatso-
ever, in the least degree, induced by
the motives, nor the alleged unlawful
result, SO indefinitely alleged and set
forth in the plaintiffs petition
The answers of the Reading CON-
pany and the Philadelphia and Read
ing railway specifically deny the vari-
ous allegations contained in the gov
ernment's suit. In reference to the
charge that the Reading company con-
trolls the other two corporations the
answer of the Reading company says:
This defendant denies that 1t holds
the entire capital stock of the Phila-
delphia and Reading Railway company
and of the Philadelphia and Reading
Coal and Iron company and majority
in interest Of the capital stock of the
Central Railroad company of New Jer-
scy, as chargea In plaintiffs petition,
but II admits ii is the owner OF an
equitable or beneficial interest-sub-