The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-09-03
NJ. lNOLDS SETS
OUT TO DISSOLVE
HARD COAL TRUST
Files Suit Involving Mil
lions Against Men and
Corporations.
WILL OWN ALL IF
ONLY GIVEN TIME
Nine Are Alleged by Attorney
General in Bill to Be in Con-
troll of Giant Organization,
Which Was Put in Exist
F., ence by Pierpont
Morgan.

Philadelphia, Pa, September AT
torney-General McReynolds's hrst and
most important attack on the hard
coal trust was begun here to-day with
the Ming OF civil suit for the disso
luton of the Reading Company's con-
troll OF coal mining and coal carrying
railroads-the most potential comb!-
nation in the anthracite fields. The
Reading Company. with It's subsidiary
and allied corporations. including the
Central Railroad OF New Jersey and
certain Of their officers and directors.
are charged by the Federal government
with violating both the Sherman anti
trust Law and the commodities clause
OF the interstate commerce act. in an
attempt to monopol!zc the production
and transportation of anthracite.
This combination. controlling at the
present time G3 per cent OF the entire
unmined deposits OF anthracite and
marketing about 80 per cent of the
annual supply. will own or control in
time, II not dissolved. the Attorney
General warns. every ton or com
merc.ally available anthracite known
to exist"
Relief Only at Law.
The Importance OF the suit is en-
phasized with the declaration that in
this case only the law can afford
relief" II is pointed out that in al
most every other industry Il is at least
possible for a monopoly to be broken
by the influx OF fresh capital attract
ed by high profits. but against mon
opoly Of hard coal. the supply of which
IS limited. there can be no such pro-
lection.
To-day's suit is the second step OF
the Department OF Justice TO solve the
hard coal trust situation since the
decision Of the Supreme Court last
DecerRber canceling the so-called 60
per cent contracts and ordering the dis
solution or the Temple Iron Company.
The court held the government had fail
ed TO prove a general combination
among all the coal-carrying railroads.
and left open to future litigation the
So called minor combinations, of which
the Reading Is the most important
Former Attorney General Wicker
sham fled q civil suit along similar
lines and which is now pending,
against the Delaware, Lackawanna
and Western Railroad Company.
Attorney General McReynolds now
is considering the question OF attack
ing other alleged combinations Of coal
carrying railroads and coal mining
companies, particularly the Lehigh
Valley and the Erie and their allied
Goa! CoIilptH!eS. ~ ucSiS!oIi "
probable action has yet been reached.
Represent Many Millions.
Following corporations and indivi
duals are named as defendants in the
petition in equity filed to-day:
Reading Company. capital, $4,000
600; debt. sl30.000.0o0.
Philadelphia and Reading Railway
Company. capital, s42,4Sl. 200; debt.
Si9.3S5,5S2.
The Philadelphia and Reading Coal
and Iron Company, capital. sS.0oO.O0O;
debt. ,74,576.52s.
The Central Railroad Company OF
New Jersey. capital. s27,4S6,soo; debt.
s47.s4S,oo0.
The Lehigh and Wilkes Barre Coal
Company. capital. ss,21e,5oo; debt. s16.-
$4,000.
The Lehigh Coal and Navigation
Company. capital, s2s.557,s5o; debt,
s21.4O9333
Wilmington and Northern Railroad
Company. capital. s1,5oo,Ooo; debt.
sSo4. 900,
LehigM and Hudson River Railway
Company. capital. Sl.34o,ooo; debt, 49,
$4,000
Lehigh and New England Railroad
Company. capital. S1.000,000; debt, ST.,
10000.
George F. Raer. Philadelphia; George
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