New-York tribune., 1873-12-13
TIE COIL TRADE.

| AGENTS AND RETAIL DEAl.FHS ASSkhl liAi iA'.e'-'
Will. not De LOWER THIS WINTER.
The recent action of the Pennsylvania Coal
Company which mines nearly ono-scventh OF the total
amount OF anthracite coal produced in this country, III
largely reducing, prices this month"; has been generally
commented upon by dealers and consumers. Tue
opinion has been expressed by that the combined
companies at the mead OF which stood the Philadelphia
and Reading Company, and which comprise all the
large companies except the Pennsylvania Coal Com
pany would be forced TO modify their expressed pocy
OF Keeping up high prices OF coal during the Winter
| so Ms TO. induce people TO buy more at other
| seasons, when the cost OF production IL
| less especially in Spring. From the interviews
OF TRIBUNE reporter with representatives. OF the prh'
cipal companies and with the retail dealers II mas Oech
found that this opinion is unfounded that the com
binaton is determined carry ont its policy. and that
the dealers would lose large amount Of money II u
should wavcr in its purpose The Pennsylvania Conn
pany which reas almost all the coal it brings TO this
CITY, has in former taken like action TO their ic
step without derangug the trade or breaking DOWN
prices in general All the information gained leads 10
the supposton that the general retail price Of coal VIII
not be lower any time this Winter.
f. G. Quintard agent of the philadelphia and Read
ing coz said that the companies who belong to tho So
called combination which arranges the scale
OF prices at monthly sales would certainly main
tain their prices through the Winter, ID spfe
OF the action ot the Pennsylvania co. Ihey
could not lower their prices without breaking faith wan
their patrons. many of whom would be ruined by any
great decrease the price of coal The system adopted
by the combined companies Of lowering the price to its
lowest point the beginning Of Spring and after keep
ing il month or two at that level, to raise 1t every
mouth TIL Winter. and then TO maintain high rate
through the Winter necessary TO prevent cr0"ding
sales into few months of the year. The people should
be encouraged to buy in sMIrch aud April. when they
usualy held of. BY the plan OF 7he cOmOT
nation sales were made more uniform. retail
dealers better satisfied. and consumers were not
taken az rsisadvantage. The opportunity open for
them to buy where prices were lowest The companies
were making unreasonable profit. Last season they
had lost heavily and only concerted action were they
able TO 10 a remunerative business. If large profits
wore made in the trade they the retail dealers
The advance in wholesale rates over Iht SEASON III Ioi
been heavy, while the cost OF production Wa no u 81
The combined companies had taken no eon'er.cn lUoa
10 check production TINS ran as hiu pc'n Ip -. -
Some of them were working twO-thirls tme, but that
was by ind vlduai arrangement. -, ..,.-
earnestly deprecated tae po29hnI 2hH nm in any @ way
there exists conpl'''T, ~ no, I,et ,oone
be considered monopoly Ihe conplhit' ,iIn D, -
so heavily last season that II was thught advlsaD9 10
ac m concert and 20 fix the amount OF production ITO
ducon had not been decreased howevcr, Dut uli & gr
arged from 49, 000O0D tons last year 10 l9UJUb s yi
No act1on preiudical 10 public interests had bcrh hn
but such policy adopted As would induce psopV W u ~ ~
coal hen the cost OF production Is less than IN Wlnef
The interests of the Pennsylvania Company anu oi .e
continued companies are the sameso 90 average The
rate Of production As 10 serve thelf OWL l'eIt''
I
opinion from theirs rs 10 tue proper H' " "'0
! prices. - -, ,..u..,r.o,, ,,,,, c,,,ropv stated
maj they agreed favOrng the end arrived ht pv o
combined companies. thus inducing people 10 py Wneh
| syIvania Company adopted Regular scale OF prices
! for the several months OF the year. PLo'o''ou
! low in the Spring months 10 draw purchascs' bul
the Pennsylvania Company dlnerel from the rest a.
iicycd that constantly coming from the mines
In that aud that 1t accunuates IN this city "ls
81 IN -
lesseed II could not be stored ~ gIedt quantities WIFE
ont expense together win oss from deierloFa'oU'
While t could he worked on during the winter uu
| lessit was offered at favorable rates.
The opinions of the retail dealers were found to agrS
| th,t the action OF the Pennsylvanla Company wouh
moi derang 20 the retail trade or lower pricos, and ts
the combined companies would keen up prices thr9aH
Without dissent they favored the success Of the scheo
thc combnatlon in relieving The trade from
fluctuations prices, and claimed that no grdsplh OIL
unrea sonable spirit had yet been shown by H. USo &
OF the LARGEST dealers nrc 'He ian 'i HS ~e"r de-
| clared that the action OF the Pennsyyana C0mpau!
ciobIe effect on the trade Thc Pennsylvania COMPANY
had generally in the past kept lie prices consderabB
lower han the companies which belong to the com
| binaton-sometimes more than 81 per ton lower-,nu
had previous occasions suddenly lowered It's ra, &
This company retails most OF ts coal Its aet0h ~ % %
past has not unsettled prices la general ana tn9 "
present step ,, ,e no hksy aid to G%
| ~ the three chief companies OF the com-
bination all Of whom declared there would be no
pbs compap,es would break faith with their customer
many OF whom would be ruined. There has been
little profit In the retail business OF late years anu
petition keen, that dealers in poor e9n
don the loss which falI III prices would Ia, in
fct upon them" In his opinion the policy OF the COM
bnation best for all parties and does not injure t
people. III consumers . VIII not buy a1 ~ o.
in the Spring they should not object to a com, com,
parstivey inordinate price IN the Winter Inc ovd'
business vast that TO mie and transport the COAL
every month, week. indeed every day IN tne
was reqhred. To relieve the producers some apptoao
toward uniformity In sales at all seasons OF the
must be brought about. 1t would have been wen W.
trade if there had been combination years ago. ma
Nj. LOwther OF the firm of Lowther Co.. at NO 40
East Thrtieth-st extensive dealer asserted thht
the general opinion OF dealers the combination wonl
keep up prices and from loss those operators w
have stocks hand The demand in the retail urn n
pretty brisk Just now, because the closing OF az .
canals daily expected but prices were not o Lu ~
tive dealers iprepared for depression y.
the market. They had raised but so cents per ton se
last Spring, while the combined companies hi nsu
been advancing prices and transportation rates mont
ayeratfng together about Is per each on,n'
The steadIness In prices and the confidence In GIL
tions secured by the action OF the combined
had invaluable 10 the dealers. There seomed ho
to expect decrease OF prices this Winter 90
the labor the mines down. when tue
might be "A slight lowering OF rates. = -
T. Davies OF No. 93 East Twenty third s. said tnat tao
com panes too werfu 10 be br0ugnl W
a reduction OF prices by the Pennsylvanla Co. H wa
well for the dealers that II was for II coal shonu
81 per dealers carrying stocks OF 1900 2OgU
would greatly embarrassed. The combination III az
keep faith with It's customers Dealers gehesIlhiiyJ
were satisfied with the OF the conpincu
| companies, winch had given steady rates ana , iiu
| thus far shOwn no tendency toward cIuspanis
monopoly. Retail prices would undoubtedly. roin ~ ~
steady through the Winter There hope OF an Ia
crease and there could be no decrease wthout noa
| loss The panic had hurt the trade more than M ~
have been expected. IL TO supposed tna
the Wholesale trade would be harmed by the
In manufacturin but thero had been marked -
using coal In other things and used less oi IsnS
brands of coal aud substituted cindors for tIozu oo"