The Detroit times., 1912-10-19
IS BEHIND
RAISE IN PRICES
FOR HARD COAL.
Correspondent Of New York
: World Says Railroads Are in
Absolute Control
INDEPENDENTS HELPLESS
AGAINST COMBINATION
Monopoly Has Tight Grip on
Mineral Rights in Anthra-
cite District

s.SCRANT0N Oct -fS.=fnvesrfgatfon
81 actual conditions IN the anthracite
region, says-4he correspondents OF the
New York -WeFld, following the -an-
ouncement a mack ase-that- Indie
pendent mine oxnark-had -Eaised 1.-The
price Of coal SO -to-75- cents a ton,
First-There appears to have not
the sltghtest excuse for boosting the
Dfice except TO crafty a temptation
TO take advantage OF the consumers In
New YORK City and other places out
side the coal regions
Second-The anthracite region des-
pite government suits and all other
prosecutions and agitations, Is now as
much as ever in the control OF a
railroad combine, headed by the Phil
adelphia--and- Reading, This combine.
known .as tho Anthracite Trust"
does as II pleases with the coal sup
My. sdherlpg TO its policy OF making
The supply fit the demand.
Before he great strike Of 1902 coal
was sold generally in New York at
IS a Ton. Now 1t sells al 81 or over.
1As~fbfT the recent price boost In
the name, Of the socalled independ-
Sits Hhefs Is only one Cpfntun OF It
m tina nzru coal region, and chat 10
INST tfre -Anthrxcite Trust is using the
fndependents ~ the goat
= Indfeatfone are that Is tho consum-
ers Will only be patient, and order
coal only for current needs, the de-
acienoy IN the-year's production, due
% the two-month suspension last
spring. EilI. be made up by the hrst
II December, and after that the public
can ordeE Cor the balance OF the win
The present advance in coal Is a
grab by the operators. II Is SAID mas
much as the so-called independents
nine Tess tnam 4 per cent of coal,
they can GO -ifttie to supply the pubic
hhless they act as agents OF the
yfust-.-~~- - : -
@iThaf the Anthracite-carrying rail-
rcnda. n0w absolutely control the STU
ntion Is evident on every hand. TO
heriI,-Hith. !. the independents have no
independent of getting their
eoai 10 -inarket. They. have got ~ !,
nse cars-pElsd by one OF anotrer =.
the rnads IN the Anthracite ruse,
and thex Lave got to snip me sss cass
OYER one or another OF the roaus
owred nv tho Trust.
fWhen II pefsoii- gees how to buy a
6Hct nf 1Sfli IA Pennsylvania he finds
f,at n Stsd 1foes not cover the min
tfal ri-'t- Thc Trust and is agents
nave rrt 'fr n neral rights in every
tsact-~ss.4 f-a~s.sA4y trace. of coal
1he cr va,icn mas been ecomhed
eyer ~. ~e~Icsists in the inter
at ~ 49, .a-ei.a Trust, and there
arc - -= rG r'1eral rigats LETT
for CT it.cIs e E late c2mers, The
coal s,-- 49, sc1elne which The
IlnIter So r7ve:nn mt recently
stopped iS Afaeta. has been worked
fo the ilmN ii PeIhsy yiyatfa- K
1T ~ SnIy a. n mattefe or 4 short time.
II Is said at the mines. when the com
phnies will turn all OF their culm
heaps into steam cal or coal bricks.
Since they were discovered. In 1914,
tse an hraciyecregions have produced
ever two and one-quarter billion tons
of coal. The total bituminous coal
production In. the United States from
1914 10 Jan-l, 1912, was $685. $50
short tons The combined output OF
anthracite and bituminous coal each
Cd the maximum SU1 500 6,y7s 'sofs-'
IN 1910.
According to the oficial returns Of
The Pennsylvania Department OF
Mines, the-loss Of concerns In the an
thracite regions that produce more
thaa 400, 600 tons n year Is as follows:
. u 49,