Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-01-23
PROBE
ANTHRACITECOAL
Pottsville Inquiry Ques-
iions Companies OH Re-
stricting Output
ClRARD'S S1.1O ROYALTY
Chase Denies Lehigh Valley
Refused Lease to Prevent
Production

FottsNille, Pa, Jan. .%-Stuators
Nardaman, Mississippi, and Reed. Mis-
souri, are being conducted through the
inning districts of the western end of
"CnuEIkill County. awaiting the arrival
OF Senators McNarey. oregon, and
Jones. New Mexico. as n committee of
investigation of the various coal tracts
and the condition of the coal Industry.
ChargeS concerning which having been
made from New York and other points.
as 10 the scarcity of the coal product
iIoinlnent operators are present: w
j. Richards, of the Philadelphia mad
lteading Coal ana Iron COMPANY. s D.
Narriner. of Lehigh Coal and Naviga-
tion company; Fred NJ Chascr. of Ie-
hlsh valley Coal Company Fred Zerbev.
kingston Coal Company. independent
nperators George e. keiscr and |. u.
bedh'n are subpoenaed, as were all the
FOREGOING. and are present
Officials of the United ATip,uorr,r,
ol america. representing $4,000 miners
OF Schuylkill County. are present at the
hearing, while the court room whore tho
session Is being held is crowded with
representatives and legal advisers of the
poroughs of Schuykill county, which are
Wdsing an independent fight to compel
me coal companies to pay taxes on lands
claimed by experts to he valued Mt n
billion and quarter of dollars.
Tour Coal Region
The Senatorial Committee Comnleted
us tour of the coal sections of the lower
portion of the county at II o'clock
and. at that hour, Fred NJ. Chase. gen
eral manager of the Lehigh Valley coal
company. the owner of approximately
100000 acres in various sections of the
anthracite fields, was called to the stand
as the first witness
That the committee was intent on get
'IhS the facts ON the coal production and
10 ascertain whether II WAS heinp
limited to the market demands was eyi-
dehced through the questioning of Sen
ator Reed. who asked Mr.. Chase
whether more coal could not be pro-
uuctd ana more mines opened i'm the
IerrltorN OF his company. Mr.. Chase re-
Piled that it could be done, hut that IT
was not deemed advisable. When asked
whether the company was limiting the
production Of coal, Mr., Chase replied
the company was producing sufficient
coal 10 meet the market demand
Getting Big Royalties
The questioning of Mr.. Chase hy the
committee clctcd the information that
IN" company was getting SCI. 900 Il year
royalties for the Seitsnger tract he
tween Pottsvill" and Mnersvill.. but
iurthor questioning by the committee
1ailed 10 supply the reason why this
tract Is not being developed
In the case of the Shipman coal
company at Shamokin, which was rcfus-
cd an cXtcnsion of its lease. efforts
were made by the attorney for the COM
mittee to show that the Lchigh VALLEY
was intent on keeping down the pro-
ductlon, although not prepared to Opcr-
ate the land itself and the question was
asked If the lease had not been refus-
cd primarily because the Shipman Com
pany shipped the coal over The pennsyI-
Nania lines instead of the I.chigh VAL
ley company, the holding corporation of
the coal lands Of the Lchigh Valley coal
lands, Mr. Chase replied that was
not the reason,
The examination of Mr.. chase as "A
whole waa intended to show that the
company did not operate its lines. be-
cause the demand for coal did not war
rant such procedure.
Girard Agent Called
James Archibald, Jr., county agent for
the Girard Estate, the holding cOmpany
of considerable coal lands in the Ma
hanOy Valley. was the next witness
and he presented figures Of his company
showing that II was being paid royal
ties as high as $1.lO per ton of coal
mined lie also, under the question
ing OF the committee, testified that none
Of the company's land was being refor-
estcd. it being the impression that the
state would do this work,