The Washington times., 1923-09-27
GOAL FREIGHTS.
DOUBLED IN
TWO YEARS
U. S. Report Says Railroads
Take - 4 Ton Tor HauIage
Of Anthracite.
BY TOM EvERRITT.
Cosmopolitan News Service.

Users of anthracite coal will
nay the sum Of $24s, 500, 900 In
freight rates this year, or and aver
age Of 81 per ton. to the nine
principal railroads which haul an.
thracite from the Pennsylvania
coal fields, according to figures
IN the report Of the United States
Coal Commission.
Other statistics In this report
show that the profits taken by
the coal operators and dealers
total $6.16 per ton.
AS TO the 81 per ton average
charge for freight exacted by
the railways, the Coal Commission
says:
not existing rates on anthracite
under jurisdiction Of the Inter
state Commerce. Commission
The railroads which III collect.
Ing the average 81 per ton freight
charge are:
Delaware, LackawannA and Eld-
son; Lehigh Valley, Philadelphia
and Reading. Erie Central Rail.
road of New erBey,, Lehigh and
New England, Delaware and Hud-
son and the Pennsylvania Rail-
way Company.
Boston users Of anthracite pay
q freight rate Of $4.16 per lons
ton, while New York users pay
$3.50. Baltimore 1928 and Wash.
ington, $3.28, while points more
distant fcom coal fields pay IN pro.
portion.
Formerly Owned Mines.
The railroads above named for
merly owned or controlled all the
anthracite mines, but q decision
few years ago made II illegal TOR
railway companies to own such
mines. The Supreme Courts de-
cision was expected to lower tho
price Of coal. But Il did not. In.
stead, the cost Of coal to the
consumer has steadily mounted.
In 1918, when the. railroads owned
the anthracite mines, stove anth-
racite sold In Boston at 1928 a
ton and in Washington at $3.50 q
ton. Today such coal sells in
Boston at Sl6 and ii Washington
at 1888, although the decision
separating the railways from their
mines has been ii effect several
Freight rates on coal have ii.
most doubled within the past two
years.
with nine railway companie.
I.controlIing the anthracite freight
traffic, the q. 8. Coal Commission
flight producing tninine) com.
panies, affiliated to some extent
with the railroads, produce "A
per cent OF the total output and
control 80 per cent OF the under
ground reserve"
In reference to anthracite freight
rates, the commission says:
In later years anthracite has
been termed by the carriers as their
backbone traffic Throughout the
history Of the industry there has
the carriers toward this very desir.
able business"
The anthracite fields are little
In size and contents. The railway
companies may be Influenced, In ex
ercising their carrying charges, Oh
servers said, by the fact this buai.
ness viii not be here forever and GO
collect on it while we may"
Striking at this vital spot In the
anthracite coal industry, the coal
commission says:
Wants /. G. C. Control.
The fundamental fact Ii the an.
thracite coal problem IL that here.
tofore these limited and exhaustible
natural deposits have been In the
absolute private possession Of their
legal owners, to be developed 81
withheld at win, to be leased for
such rates and in such manner al
a double headed railroad and coal
combination might find most advan
tageous from the point Of view 81
private profit" \
The u. 8. Coal Commission, which
spent 100000 In its investigation 81
the industry, recommended that the
anthracite industry be placed under
| the supervision Of the Interstate
Commerce Commission, which hal
permitted the nine anthracite carry
ing railways to 90 increase freight
rates that they viii collect $249, 500,
600 from consumers of hard Goa
fhfa vaar