Evening star., 1914-04-28
ASKS DEEP PROBE
INTO COAL RATES
Senator Ti||man Charges Dis
elimination in Favor of
So-CaI|ed Trust.
FIGHTS FOR RELIEF FOR
SOUTH ATLANTIC STATES
Declares That Dixie Is Being MIXED
to Aid Big New York Finan-
cial Interests.

Cldl 1uGClcSIS.
y comprehensive resolution calling for
an Investigation Of the freeh; rates
charged upon coal to south Atlantic
ports. alleged determinations in favor
"i the So-callcd coal trust. was reported
t" tn" Senate from the naval affairs com
mite" today hN Senator Tiilman chair
man Of tn" committee
ne preamble of the resolution sets
forth tn" Importance Of the establish
ih"nt of coaiing stations for the navy
on the South Atlantic coast in view
oi m the opening of the Panama canal.
me resolution provides that the in
test1gation shall be made by tho
naval affairs committee, that the com
mittee shall be empowered to employ
counsel, traffic and coal experts and
such other assistance as may be re-
CURED, and that $4,000 be appropriat-
en 60, Tor conducting the investigation.
stitute introduced several weeks aro
by Senator Tillman
Explains Resolution.
In explaining the resolution, senator
liiinan said to the Senate:
In order that the Senate may under
stand the scope and purpose of this in
Vestlsatlon ! take the liberty to saw that
consider it as important as anything
we have before us at this time-I mean
merely domestic matter relating to our
internal affairs.
The fight is in the interest of the
navy and naval stations. and for the CON
sunerS of coal in the south Atlantic
states. and for the producers of coal IN
the Appalachian fields. involving mines
IN West Virginia Virginia. Kentucky
ana tennessee against the alleged coal
trust: which is dominated and is run in
me interests of the PENNSYLVANIA rail-
road system and the mines which use
ihat system and its tributaries in order
to reach the markets
The owners OF the coal mines not in
the 'oai trust are making little or no
money because of discrimination and IA
NoritiSn on the part of the railroads
ihe southern states arc being MIXED
Systematically to enrich Morgan & co
,ntofse r. Baker and their associates
living in New York mainly. Southern in
dustries are languishing and nut tn undue
expense because of the high Price of coal
and other discrimination
Tells of Higher Rates.
I was talking with a friend last week
In South Carolina who is president of
three cotton mills, and he told me that
coal cost them at the mines around a
dollar per ton and miners could make
money at that: that the cost of trans
portation was anywhere from s1.15 to
S-.D This is due to the fact that the
southern railway, as is alleged, is con
lroiled by Morgan d Co. and associates
aho use and abuse it in the interest of
their greater investments in coal mines
on the Pennsylvania system
mere can be no just reason WHY the
manufacturer in Georgia. South Caro-
ma. North Carolina. Florida and Er-
ginia should be Disseminated against and
their industries throttled, or made to bear
unjust burdens as compared with their
competitors in other states.
Another thing: This coal trust so
called. by some arrangement which we
of coal from West Virginia and the terri
tory l have outlined to New York. or any
point south of 1t. The city of Washing
ton itself is prevented from getting coal
from this field on account of the Pennsyl-
vania's dominating attitude toward the
other coal roads. viz. the Southern rail
way. the Chesapeake and Ohio and the
Norfolk and Western railway.
Il am told it costs IL cents ton to
get coal across the bridge here from
seven miles, if ii comes from
the mines on the southern railway;
while coal fiom the mines on the Nor
folk and Western railway. shipped over
the Southern railway. comes into Wash
lEStOn at only ~ cents a ton higher than
the rate to Alexandria.
Hates to See Road Robbed"
Il am told that the people of the South
Atlantic states are sending several mil
lions of dollars to the coal fields of the
Pennsylvania system to pay for fuel and
for its transportation. which ought to
go to the Southern railway and to the
mines on the Southern railway l am
no champion of the Southern RAILWAYS
interests. but | do hate to see a fine
property like that robbed of its Just
rights by its trustees.
'''!he relation Of the trustees to the
property III trust is Il sacred one and
/ want to call on George +. Baker and
his associates III the truSteeShp to give
an account of their stewardship of the
Southern railway. Besides. the people
OF my state are directly interested in
getting cheap coal for fuel. both for con
in their homes and to run their
factories with: and as the Southern rail-
way penetrates the coal fields sit ought
to serve our people by bringing us cheap
coal but it is not allowed to do SO. be-
cause it is not managed for the interests
of the stockholders
If coal is shipped to Norfolk. it cannot
go to New York at all. any intermedi-
ate port point. There is no free trade
III coal within the area embracing the
states of New York. Pennsylvania, New
jersey. Delaware and Maryland, nor in
the south Atlantic states. and the navy
and naval stations on the Atlantic coast
are completely at the mercy OF the coal
trust, both as to the supply and the price
of their coal Therefore. | sincerely trust
that the Senate VIII pass the resolution
authorizing an iuvestiga ton: and for
that reason ] ask for its immediate con-
sidera ton.