Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-01-25
Plan LdlU to Cut
Coal Royalties
Continued from rage One

reasonable valuation basiS, and that |
VIII force them to either open the unde-
veloped coal deposits or permit others
10 do So" Attorney Wilhelm asserted |
that evidence presented during the three |
days hearing will sustain his charges. |
For years we have been trying to get !
at the facts. and now we have them" |
added the attorney.
Public Hardships Not Considered
At last nights session the senatorial
investigating committee probed the sys- |
tenn OF fixing royalties and obtained
from James Archibald, mining agent of
the Girard estate. IA big coal-neld hold !
er. that the coal men were not i'm |
pressed by the hardships borne by con-
sumers
This admission developed when Sena-
tor Jones. of New Mexico asked the
witness how the royalties paid TO the
Girard estate were fixed cit is the
theory" said the witness 40 levy a
royalty that equals on--half the profit
made by the coal operator. In fact.
that ought 10 be the general prac-
tce.'
Senator Jones asked IL any thought
was ever given TO the effect of such an
arrangement on consumers and as to
whether such an arrangement would
not cause the operators to impose a big
profit in order TO meet the big royal
ties
MIR. Archibald replied that he didn't
think the public suffered. but added:
The ordinary business man is never
impressed by the hardshps imposed
upon the public"
Senator Nardaman stroked his flow
ing locks. lighted a cigarette and. with
a yawn. injected into the record: 81 am
nfr ylu Ny -, no
The witness introduced a mass OF
figures showing the income of the Girard
Estate derived from coal lands and as
serted that the royalties In 1918
averaged seventy-four cents per ton. In
1913 they averaged but thirty-three ana
have climbed each year.
For nearly an hour the witness was
on the stand, but the major part of
that time was devoted 10 a discussion
of the Girard Estate, the management
Of Girard College. the terms OF stephen
Girard's will and other matters
|. II. Mlrkil. general superintendent
Of the Grard Estate, took n hand In the
discussion and told an interesting story
about stephen Girard and how the
money derived from the estate was ex-
pended on the education OF poor boys.
yardaman Gets Curious
After telling that Mr.. Girard first pro-
vided for Philadelphia orphans. then for
New Orleans orphans and rated New
York orphans as third on the eligible
list Senator Nardannn again stroked
his flowing locks and asked. Why did
Mr.. Girard jump from New Orlenas to
New York;"
The question proved too much for Mr.
Mirkil, SO ne merely smiled
"Do you live up to the provisions in
the Girard will?" asked Senator Narda-
man. We do" replied the witness.
Didn't he provide that preachers
should be barred?'
lie did"
And do YOU carry out that prov'-
sion?"
After everybody had enjoyed laugh,
Mr.. Mirkil promised 10 file Il statement
detailing the income and expenditures of
Girard Estate.
To disclose the connection between
railroad companies and certain coal COM
panies the committee called 4. r. Jessup.
vice president of the George Mirkil Com
pany and the Jeddo Coal Company. The
witness said that his concerns were
known as independents. we mine
special grade Of coal and have Gus
toners" he said. who are willing 20
pay little more than the market price.
But the bulk of your coal is handled
I by the Lehigh Valley coal Sales Com
pany?" asked Attorney Wilhelm.
Yes" replied Mr., Jessup. we give
that company commission Of twelve
and half cents for selling it,
And it is shipped over the Lchigh
Valley road"
Veg"
Isn't the I.ehigh Valley Railroad and
the Lehigh Valley Sales Company the
same thing"
Il cannot answer that
What does it cost TO ship coal from
the mine 20 tidewater in New York via
the Lehigh Valley
"One dollar and cightv-fve cents
| "Aud the distance is about 1856 miles
/ and mostly down grade
| Yes. .hat is right
/ $1,000 Freight on single Train
\ train of fifty coal cars, the wit
ness said. would net the railroad nearly
$4,000 Mr. Jessup said that lie never
/ received Il circular fixing the selling
4 price of coal hut learned of market
! conditions and prices by reading trade
b journals.
Attorney Wilhelm endeavorcd to oh
tain an admission that the witness was
/ instructed by big operators as to what
TO charge, but tailed Mr.. Jessup main
tanned that the big operators did not
control him.
Today's session will end at 2 o'clock
but futher hearings will be conducted in,
| Washington.
! We shall go TO the bottom of this
coal business" said Attorney Wilhelm
/ when todays session opened. with
such hugh deposits OF coal living idle
! there Is no reason why prices should he
so high. They would come down IL the
I tracts were opened up and there is an
abundance OF independent capital walt
ing such an opportunity. We have evil
dence that men of wealth have tried to
lease some Of these idle properties. but
have been refused"
I Conflicting testimony was given re-
garding the amount Of anthracite coal
still In the ground Ellsworth Davies
testified that there are 200 square miles
Of coal land in the county with total
/ Of 22340. 100000 tons Of coal still in
| place,
W. T. Sekol, another Scranton engl-
! neer. testified that there were about A.
/ oO0, 600, 900 tons of coal originally In
place and that I 900, 000.0 900 tons had
been taken out. Davies figured zoe, 900, =
| 900 tons had been taken out.
! The report of the second geological
survey OF Pennsylvania was introduced
into the record. showing n reserve OF
/ 1880 100000, this not being all in
Schuylkill County. but included meas
ures In Lebanon, Dauphn and North
umberand Counties,
Aero Club Elects Officers
The Aero Club OF Pennsylvania last
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