The evening world., 1911-05-31

ling the coal after ~ reaches tide
water.
Eight railroads viii divide another
81. 5000 o of the total for freight charges
made upon the following basis of pres
ident's percentages"
Percent
Philadelphia and Reading Rail-
way .......... ........ SU.oO
Lehigh Valley Railroad. ....... 1915
Central Railroad OF New Jersey. ii.70
Delaware. Lackawanna and
western Railroad. .......... 1895
Delaware and Hudson Company. 800
PENNSYLVANIA Railroad. ......... I1.t0
Erie Railroad 1l.2O
New York. ontario and Western
Railway s.io
The remaining $4,000. 900. or me
half of the total bill New York City
will be called upon to pay in order
70 keep warm next winter represents
the real value OF the coal plus the ac-
tual cost OF mining 1t. In addition the
city will consume within the year
5000. 900 tons OF soft coal.
The anthracite coal belt Is 1S miles
from New York City. II has an area
OF tA square miles in adjoining coun-
ties OF northeastern Pennsylvania.
Minable coal. either owned or con
trolled by the eight railroads constitute
ing the Coal Trust, has been estimated
at 5000. 900. 900 tons. This cosl Is In the
ground and experts say 1t can be
shipped 70 market. Coal IL now being
produced at the rate of 6s,o0O.Oo tons q
year. which means that at The present
q Of production there Ia enough an
thracite to last for seventy-fve years
more.
Competition Wat stlfed.
singulsrly enough there Is no such
thing as competition in the anthracite
coal industry. Competition was stlfied
effectively following "A meeting of gen
tlemen held March -, 1856. at No. 2ls
Madison avenue. the home OF J. Pier
pont Morgan. The law of supply and
demand no longer prevails In anthra-
cite. Even all OF the future coal has
been divided up among the so-called
coal railroads,
The chief efforts Of tho coal
barons." as the moving spirits OF the
Coal Trust were called during the great
anthracite strike. are now directed to-
ward buttresslng their monopoly 30 as
to pass 1t along TO their children and
grandchildren for their exclusive bene-
fit In perpetuity. Has this attempt vital
interest 10 a community that faces a
go. Ooo.O 900 coal bin for the coming twelve
months and whose fuel needs are grow
inGf
The public 10 interested In knowing
whether a combination which bottles up
the future supply OF a necessity OF life,
after having seized both the present and
the past. 10 a form OF trus. that the
United States Supreme Court might de
clare IN UNREASONABLE RE
srRAINT OF TRADE.
Since 1902 tldcwater coal IN domestic
sizes has moved over "A schedule o,
prices prepared by the Coal Trust with
the regularity OF a pendulum. Elc'
year these prices have started at an
ebb OF $3.50 a ton In tho month Of April
and then risen ten cents a month for
five months 10 a how of g. IN Scptem-
Der. For seven msnths anthracite
knocks at the portal Of New YORK chs
with a standard price Of s. a ton
which lasts through the colo season
from September until April of the fol
lowing year, Local coal dealers tarl
on $50 TO ea,h tor for boat charges
hoisting, storing screening, delivering
snd collecting.
how 1t . Divided.
For twenty-five years the eight rail-
roads nponopoliz.ng anthracite coal hhy
been dividing under what Is known a
the presidents percentage Thcs
percentage represent the basis upo
which the anthracite tonnage mas bee
pooled by the railroads IN stated pre-
portions and explains why coal neyt
goes down In price below the annu
summer bid FOR early orders, ranglli
from nifty cents q ton In April to to
cents OF in August.
To Illustrate just hat these per'en
ages are, let A.. B and G represent rivl
contractors who have mace an agrc
ment 10 divide the profits 81 a villas
road building contract upon the has
OF teams they PAT on the job. \ Ia
-four leans, B SIX teams and @ Is
teams. Al the end OF tae year 4 tak'
90 l-3 per cent, T. 50 per cent, ana
who has the smallest number O. Team
W 2-3 per cent. OF the velvet.
IN a like r. the coal railroad
have divided anthracite upon the bls.
OF the capacities OF the co.i!erles alpn
the respective roads. only they do M
walt until tae end OF the year an
take their proportions out Of The NJ
earnings Of the r~c-lon, but they reac
IN, and arbitrarily seize onc.fourth
the ultimate cost OF tho coal 10 q
consulneg, under the gG.se OF 'irc!gl
charges 20 tidewntcr'
Reyertlng 10 the foregoing illustrl
tion OF teams. what tbs coal roads o.
doing IL TO declare that their ..tcanl
sat up rs per cen ,of the valgA of II
whole contract, and then grSo tha
before even the material carted