, 1862-10-07

have above, the testimony OF "One who
Knows as to the present cost Of Erie or
Brian Hill coal, laid down in Chicago. Ac-
corafng to the table which hemakes out. ton
Of Erie coal costs the dealer here $6.9s. But
this Sum is swollen by list Of items which
he appends, Of freight, insurance, screening,
dockage, carriage, unloading, Sc, &C., all OF
which are reduced by figures given us By an
old coal dealer, about SOC per ton-making
the coal cost the dealer here about Sc SO Per
ton, and for which he charges the public $500.
Reco11ect, however, that these are ssparlc''
prices, and that three-fourths Of the coal d.
liyercd here this season was contracted for at
$360@S.s0 per ton delivered In Chicago. It
or whose contracts cannot be filled, and are
now forced to pay the high prices asked at
Erie and Cleveland, cannot afford to sell as
low as others; but, as Illinois coal can b.
purchased at noderate price, it would be
much better for both dealer and consumer to
look to our own coal mines for supply, and
let The Pennsy 1yania miners have time to get
back from the borders Of Maryland, whittier
they were called by Gov Curtin, who has re-
Gently disbanded them. To pay so per ton
at Enc for coal Is extortion Of the most out
rageous character, and can only bs justified
by dread that the miners would not return
to their labors again this season, aud the coal
companies concluded to charge just as much
as they had the face to ask for the stocks on
hapd.
We come now to hard or anthracite coal.
And We would here state that there appears
to be some truth in the charges made By some
correspondents Of "combination' or
"menopoly" in this business. The great
bulk of this kind OF coal is shipped by the
Scranton, Pittstop, shamokin, and " likes
tarree coal-mlning compaDies-and they have
an agency in this city, to which al1 their coal
is shipped. No other dealer can purchase
pound Of this coal to come to Chicago. Well,
last spring the agent here advertised that he
had made arrangements to supply the city the
whole year through, and that the price would
be $3.50 or 5000 per ton, and that in no case
would it vary over Soc per ton. How did
these coal-mining companies keep faith with
the community? They advanced the price to
S7-C0,-s7.50,-s8o 90, - and then in one stride
to 5000 per ton, and for time refused to sell
pound at any price. Now, this same coal,
which is selling here at $40, is sold in Buffalo
at $500 to 5000 per ton- The coal is brought
here from Buffalo as ballast, and the freight
costs nothing-the charges for loading and
unloading being about 40c per ton-so that,
fer ton Of 8, 80 lbs OF Scranton coal the en-
tire cost laid on the dock at Chicago is SC co,
or at most Sc. 10 per ton. And this is resold
to the citizens OF Chicago ut $1,000 per ton Of
only 1000 lbs. One Of cur weltknown citi-
zens, few days since, proceeded to BafEalo to
purchase about 15o tons Of coal for his N
use, and failed to get any-although he offered
$500 per ton above the market pricc-th:y
would not sell pound to 60 to Chicago. The
proprietor Of the schr. Denmark telegraphed
to his Captain at Buff 10 to purchase a cargo
of hard coal and bring it to this city. Tht
| Captain telegraphed back-"Wi not sell {
pound to go to Chicago atany price" On re
ceiying this, the vessel owner telegraphet
again 10 the Captain to purchase cargo to g
to Green Bay, which he did-payins some
where about 5000 per ton. It is needless tt
add that the coal came to Chicago-a stor.
haring prevented the sesse1 from. getting into til
Bay-a storn Of exarbitant prices in this city
zone who Knows u furnishes us With tabls
showing the cost Of LackaTanna and Ii
high coal laid down on the dock in Chicago
the former being placed at s9.G5, md the la
ter at SI0.53. We presume this is also base
on the recent s'panie prices "-and for whic
there is now no excuse. The item Of freigt
is placed at s4.40 per ton from Rondout, \
T., to Chicago. This is extraordinary. The1
is no lake freight to pay, and the can
heightis usually S1.75 per ton. How it CO
be swollen to LAO We are at 8 loss to unde
stand. And how Lackawanna coal can
selling at S5.25 at Rondout, and ouly 5000
BnffMo-with $40 canal freight-ls still
deeper mystery, which will require some fu
ther explanation.
Two Of the correspondents object to Il
suggestion Which We made In Saturdays .
per, Of requiring coal dealers to show city C
ti6cates Of weight. The objections, howere
!: are tr3uia8 Tha cost w~.ula he un1y u1,u
: seven cents ton-and almost every purchas
; you'd be willing to pay that and be thorougs;
| II satisfied that The weights were correct.
, Ia no argument at all-that the city dealer tri
their scales, if the buyer las no opportuni
of seeing The coal weighed, as he cannot ha
! unless he hangs about the coal yard ali
till the coal dealer sees fit to weigh his CO
! Let Us have city weighers, who will be p:
fairly for their labor, and who will be requir
] to give heavy bonds for 4 faithful fulf1me
of their duties. The scales can be located
4 points convenient to the various coal var
t | Nothiur less than this will satisfy the nuh1