Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-03-30
AGENTS NOT TALKING MUCH
All Local Representatives Save One
Deny Any knowledge Of Alleged
Combine, and the One Declines to
Answer Yes or No-The Amer
leans Article.

That the various cCal toHip"ii {"
and agencies shipping Outof Hamp-
ton Roads through this port ana Nor
folk. have formed a combination pE
signing an agreement 10 sell coal al
a certain Drice and to Offer no special
inducement to secure business at
Hamilton Roads during this year, is
the startling statement made in an
article published under large headlines
in the Sunday issue OF the New York
American. The American tells OF
the alleged combination in detail, and
prints what purports to be copy OF
the agreement.
This article created something or
a sensation along the waterfront here
Yesterday. Everybody was talking
about il except the coal agents. The
agents NAV have talked. but all OF
the various ones approached showed
no great disposition to do any talking
in the presence CT representative
OF The Eaily Press.
All of the agents who were seen.
except one. said they did not know
anything about an agreement. One
declined to discuss the article at all.
and said he did not care to answer
direct quaStian-as-to to- whether OF not
his company had entered into an
agreement.
1t is a fact that all of the agents
quote the same price for coal here
S3.05 per ton, with an additional
charge for trimming. Seine time aSo
it was stated that an agreement eX-
listed. and at that time most of the
companies came out with denials.
The Americans Article.
Following is the Americans article
in full:
That the directors of the Panama
Railroad were not far wrong when. in
rejecting the bids for 100000 toms Of
coal last week they said that the quo
1ations indicated the existence of an
illegal combination or ring to main
tain prices. was proved vest erday by
a discovery made by the New York
American
This discovery showed that Sc
cret agreement existed among the large
coal operators along the lines OF the
Che. apeake & Ohio and Norfolk 4
Western railroads TO keep the prices
OF their products at certain figure.
These operators make specially CT
supplying fuel for steamships. rail
roads and large manufacturing plants.
With this agreement in force, there
fore. it is practically impossible to
purchase ccal of that character at
the real market value or that fixed
by the law of supply and demand and
regulated by open competition.
American Has Copy.
"A copy Of this agreement is in
possession of The American. 1t is a
most interesting document. showing
not only the existence of the ring.
bu. the ingenuity Of the men who
compose it in evading the laws of tine
United States. That they might not
be punished FIR their act these men
did not sign the agreement here. but
sent 1t abroad fer their agents 10
sign. after having arranged all the de-
tails at No. ! Broadway. their head
quarters in this city.
That the men who drafted the
agreement were. however. more IA
miliar with the laws Of their own
country than they were with tho5e
of England is shown ny clause in
the document relating 70 the pay
ment OF commissions. or tips" 10
engineers and others. This is clear
" in violation. lawyers yesterday held
Of the Illicit commission act Of Great
Britain. and renders the agents oi
the coal men who signed II liable 10
Imprisonment. In full. the agree.
ment is as follows:
Hampton Roads Coal!ns - 1909
Agreement.
1T is hereby agreed between the
undersigned. being agents Of the G.
X. ". coaling firms al Hampton
Roads. G. X. ". that no bunkering
business at these ports shall BE- I'M
dertaken for. or bunker Goals sup