Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-04-04
COAL MINES ARE
ADVERTISED FOR
GENERAL SALE
County Commissioners to Con-
tinue Hearings on Increased
Assessments in Upper End

tNN AASoA iilSo Ol IiCICdoSu
Assessments in Upper End
Because of the claims of attorneys
Tor both the Susquehanna Collieries
Company and the Philadelphia and
Heading Coal and Iron Company,
that statements of the areas and To-
cations of tracts and the ownership
or some of the coal lands assessed
against them were not correct, Dau-
phin County Commissioners late yes
terday afternoon adjourned the ap-
peal hearing until next week.
Engineers of the Susquehanna
company, together with T. Ellis
worth Davies and w. f. Sekol, the
two engineers retained by the coun-
". Will meet with the commission
ers and township assessors next
Tuesday morning at 10 o'clock to go
over the maps showing the tracts of
coal company holdings.
On Wednesday afternoon at 2
O'CLOCK the commissioners, engineers
and representatives of the Philadel-
phia company will meet in an effort
TO adjust alleged differences in coal
field areas.
Ask S1.4OO,OOO
Briefly the contention of the Sus-
quehanna company in appealing yes
terday was that the assessments as
given by Mr.. Davies are absurd,
that the firm will advertise for sale
It's entire coal land property in the
county for $1,400,000 free of all
liens; that any appreciable increase
in assessment and consequently tax
alton will compel them to close the
mines in Wiconisco and Williams
townships and that even now, be-
| cause of extraordinary conditions
mining operations are continued al
10 profit to the company. Charges
| that entire tracts to which the COM
pany holds title have not been as
sessed against them, while others
they never knew about are charged
against the corporation, were made
at the hearing.
Charges We're made that some OF
| the tracts assessed at millions OF
dollars are absolutely barren and
the attorneys in speaking to the
| commissioners declared the COM
panieS made extensive borings and
spent thousands of dollars to estab-
lish these facts. They invited the
commissioners to go over the books
of the company and to send en-
gineers to inspect and survey the
| property and then determine the
holdings and value of the coal
basins.
Appearing for the Susquehanna
company were George M. Hum
phrey. general attorney for the M. A.
Hanna Company, Cleveland; A. l..
Williams, general counsel for the
Susquehanna corporation. Wilkes
Barre; NJ. f. Stroup, local counsel,
and Robert A. Quinn, general man.
ager, Wilkes-Barre.
Says Facts Inaccurate
Mr.. Williams was the first speaker
to address the County Commission
ers, taking the floor when Mr..
Stroup announced that he would
make a statement of the position of
the Susquehanna company.
He called attention to the differ
ences the company claims exist and
asked that the engineer employed by
the commissioners show where the
tracts are located. Speaking in de-
tail he said five tracts which the
company in the past had been as
sessed do not appear in the new list,
and that now the company is
charged with 1000 instead of 5000
acres of coal land, including areas
which have been worked and ex-
hausted and now appear as tracts
bearing mining coal. He told the
Tie ulllefenCeS
tracts should be settled first before
the question of values is considered,
at which time the company would
present facts about the cost and
difficulties of mining in that region.
The County Commissioners as
sured Mr.. Williams they would be
absolutely fair and would consider
his offer to have the county's en-
gineers go through the mines and
over the entire tract of coal land
holdings.
Veins Are Deep
Mr.. Quinn next told of the position
of the coal veins, and said that some OF
them are in such a position that it is
doubtful if it can ever be mined as II
is one of the deepest basins in the
anthracite region, the coal lying 1900
feet below the surface. At present the
company is working 1900 feet
below the surface he said, or 1,15O
feet below sea level and because of the
great depth only about SO per cent OF
the coal in the ground can be mined
as much of it must be left in pillars to
support the roof of the mines.
Last year the company mined about
100000 tons of coal, spent S2,230. 900 in
wages as compared with 100000 tons
shipped in 1913 and $1,7S0,000 paid in
wages.
Mr.. Humphrey also mentioned the
differences in tract areas and other
facts discussed by Mr.. williams and
Mr.. Quinn and then read the offer OF
the company to sell it's coal land in
Williams and Wicinisco townships for
$1,000,000 and the improvements for
100000. The county assessments as
fixed by Mr.. Davies place values on the
properties at more than $4,000, 900. Mr.
advertised and will be open for thirty
days. In case a bonafide offer to pur-
chase is made within that time and the
prospective purchaser desires an ad-
ditional thirty days will be given.
John II. Brady local counsel for the
Philadelphia and Reading company was
the only person to speak to the cim-
missioners to appeal from the assess
ments of coal fields of that corporation
He told the officials the areas charged
against them were incorrect, in some
cases duplicated assessments had been
made and in others entire tracts which
the firm did not own had been entered
against il. Speaking of the value of the
coal in the tracts of this company he
said it was not worth anything in the
market and that operation there stopped
years ago.
OF Poor Grade
"More than 200 borings and eXamin-
ations have been made in these lands, u
Mr. Brady said. "MilliGHls of dollars
have been spent but the coal in the
veins is of such a poor grade that