The United States possesses coal fields of enormous extent and richness. The mineral is widely distributed, too, productive mines being now in operation in 27 of the States and Territories. Anthracite coal, however, which is by far the best adapted to domestic use, only occurs in a limited area in the State of Pennsylvania; but here the deposit is of phenomenal richness. The total area of the Pennsylvania anthracite field is about 300,000 acres. Of this area nearly 200,000 acres is owned by seven railway corporations. These companies, either directly or through subsidiary companies controlled in the same interest, carry on mining operations, carry the coal to market, and sell it. The following figures[3] exhibit the receipts of each of these companies from sales of coal from their mines during the year 1887: +-----------------------------------------+-----------+------------+ | COMPANY. | TONS. | RECEIPTS. | +-----------------------------------------+-----------+------------+ | Philadelphia and Reading R. R. Co. | 7,555,252 |$18,856,550 | | Central R. R. Co. of N. J. | 4,852,859 | 12,132,146 | | Lehigh Valley R. R. Co. | 5,784,450 | 14,461,125 | | Del., Lackawanna, and Western R. R. Co. | 6,220,793 | 19,044,803 | | Delaware and Hudson Canal Co. | 4,048,340 | 10,100,118 | | Pennsylvania R. R. Co. | 3,818,143 | 8,820,718 | | New York, Lake Erie, and Western R'y Co.| 2,363,290 | 6,846,342 | | +-----------+------------+ | Total |34,643,127 |$90,261,805 | +-----------------------------------------+-----------+------------+ [3] Compiled from "The Coal Trade," 1888, (H. E. Saward), and "Poor's Manual of Railroads," and partially estimated. Thus these seven corporations alone produced from their own mines, carried to market, and sold, over 34,000,000 tons of coal during the year, for which they received about $90,000,000. Of the magnitude of the operations carried on by these great corporations we now have some idea. Let us next inquire to what extent competition is allowed to act between them to keep down prices.