Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1915-04-01
n 1898 The Railroads Revised Rates To Make
Possible Development Of Cheap West Virginia
Coal Lands To The DGtrimGM Of Ohio Coal Fields

mitted to the members Of the Ohio
Legislature, jointly by the free lance
operators and coal miners, it is clear
; ly proven that the Ohio railroads, less
than 20 years ago, carried coal from
the Hooking Valley district to Toledo
for SOC per ton, as against the S1.OO
rate now in effect. The railroads then
competed with each other, and with
the railroads of other states, in max
ing the markets for Ohio coal. These
rates may have been low, but the
railroads in seeking to remove the
conditions then existing created a con-
dition which, if persisted in, will bring
about the ultimate ruin Of the Ohio
coal industry. III
In 1898 the railroads formed what
was then known as their Community
of interests" There were interrela-
lions between the larger systems and
the smaller coal carrying roads The
Hooking Valley, and Ohio Central, G.
s. & H., now the GAINESVILLE and West
ern, and Kanawha and Michigan were
brought under one ownership and con.
troll. Soon after the Pennsylvania,
Baltimore & Ohio, Chesapeake & Ohio
and other large systems, under what
was known as the Trunk Line Syn
dictate" acquired control of these four
railroads. AS an incident to this
monopolization the railroads directly
or indirectly also acquired control Of
nearly all the coal companies in the
Hooking district.
The Ohio coal carrying roads be-
came closely affiliated and connected
with Western Pennsylvania and West
Virginia coal carrying roads Rates
were advanced that have since been
maintained on Ohio coal. These con.
ditions have been investigated by the
Interstate Commerce Commission and
by the United States and State courts
and the plans and actions of the rail-
roads have been condemned and re-
pudiated. Railroads have been order
ed to sever their connections with the
coal companies, and the joint control
OF these roads have been prohibited,
but in the last analysis we find the
Chesapeake and Ohio, a West Virginia
coal carrying road, in control of the
Hooking Valley, and the New York
Central lines in control of the Toledo
and Ohio Central, the GAINESVILLE and
Western, and the Kanawha and Michi-
GAM
In fact, all Of the Ohio coal carrying
roads, are operated in complete har-
mony with the rai1roadsain the several
states where the coal produced there
in completes with Ohio coal.
The situation in the Hooking coal
district, as shown in this brief history
of the manipulation of coal companies
and railroads, is illustrative of a gen.
eral movement. by which Ohio coal
carrying roads have become subserv-
tent tos and operated in the interests
of the railroads and coal districts of
other states. Especially is this true
of the Eastern Ohio field where the |
Baltimore and Ohio plays such an i'm
portant part as a carrier. This com
pany is one of the largest owners di- |
rectly and indirectly of West Virginia |
coal lands. With this ownership |
great system has established a dis
criminatory freight rate in favor Of /
West Virginia coal? ~
The size of trainloads has vastly in
creased in twenty years. The density
Of traffic is much greater. The cost of
carrying per ton is much less. Instead
of Ohio's coal production benefiting
from this greatly improved condition,
based upon fair readjustment Of
freight rates, what de we find? The
freight rate has practically been doub-
led from all Ohio mines to Ohio mar
kets. The total consumption Of. coal
has greatly increased. Other indus.
tries Of Ohio, and the consequent con-
of coal therein, has nearly
quadrupled. Large sums of money
have been spent by Independent oper-
ators, in an effort to secure fair rates
from Ohio districts The coal lies in
the ground in Ohio; the mines are
equipped and developed to produce it;
the miners are at hand and willing to
mine it, but Ohio is steadily losing its
relative position as a coal producing
state. E
It is generally recognized that the
Ohio coal industry is almost complete
u demoralized, and that q conditions
are not changed in the matter of
creigt rates. that the big interests viii
freeze out the little independent opera
tors and force thousands Of miners
tn seek other means Of livelihood. The
miners and their families have for
q number of years been struggling
along, waiting for conditions to change
but instead of the outlook becoming
brighter, It remains as hopeless as
ever. This condition is directly attri-
butable to excessive freight rates on
Ohio coal while the West Virginia
coal INDUSTRY has been directly built
up on excessive low freight rates. The
railroads are directly responsible for
This condition.
Reasonable freight rates on Ohio
coal means prosperity to thousands Of
Ohio citizens. 1t means the re0pening
Of the mines in Eastern Ohio and the
possible full time operation of mines
In the Hooking and Cam ridge dis
tricts. Under the present freight rates |
every ton Of coal mined IN Eastern
Ohio where the shutdown has extend
eti over twelve months period, u sub
leck "a IS per cent oveFclarge ae
onipafed with Nest Virginia Coal that