The New York herald., 1875-12-29
THE COAL MARKET.
AMONG THE DEALERS IN BLACK DIAMONDS.

AMONG THE DEALERS IN BLACK DIAMoNDs.
As current rumors suggested combinations OF the
leading coal companies and conspiracy against the
families Of New York, HERALD correspondent made
inquiries which would tend to fix upon the guilty men
just odum or If innocent relieve the great coal
rying organizations from the charges OF fastening
the poor consumers undue burdens. Il was asserted
that the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Com
pany was the head of
COAL MONOPOLY,
and that the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western, as
well as the Delaware and Hudson Canal companies,
aders and abettors ofths giant oppression which
would strike at the nearthstones Of every man in New
York and compel obedience TO the pending negotia-
tionA The first visit TO retail dealer
A. the East River, where something like the iol-
lowing conversation occurred
REPoRrER-What is the price Of coal?
DEALER-Seven dollars and hfy cents per ton
REPoRrER-Is this any higher than last year
DEALER-NO.
REPoRrER-I am told you are governed by the com
bnation.
DEALER-What combination.
REPoRTER-The Reading Railroad.
DEALER-0h, no. Weget our supplies by simply send
ing down orders the large companies and as far as
understand they are all sending on an equitable
basis TO this city.
REPoRrER-Why is it that certain seasons your sup
plies are cut short-when you most need ordinary
qualities Of coal to fill the orders OF your customers
and at other times the yards are guted with coal Tor
which you have no demand
DEALgR-I have no means Of knowing | believe
however that trade much regular and salts
factory from being governed by the law Of supply and
demand, supervised by the managers of the large
mining associations For instance, ia old times II we
learned there strike in the coal region the retail
dealers would put the prices 81 per ton, whereas
now, when understand that the great combining
companies could and would supply us, and our neigh
bors we'll there would be difference in the price Of
coal IN our yards.
REPoRrER-You, therefore, consider it good thing
that there should be supervising agency In regu-
< q
DBALER-Undoubtedy. Formerly an unscrupulous
trader would buy lot OF chestnut stove coal OF
dirty soft inferior quality and advertise IL as Lehigh
superior white red ash coal AZ price far below
what could sell q good article for. Now such a
trick s scarcely possible for nut pea coal rs charged
the same price for carriage as the stove size.
In pursuance of the HERALD Investigations in regard
to this subject Mr. Quintard was visited. This gentle
said that although he represented the Philade-
phin and Reading Coal and Iron Company, he did not
wish to be quoted speaking auhortatively, yet he
had hesitation in saying that the combination Of the
been adopted In the first place. glut had been
avoided in the principal markets, and while this pre-
vented undue depression in prices IL had also pre-
cluded spectators from seizing upon any sensational
rumors TO strikes &c, and charging consumers
PANIC PRICES
Another gentleman, intimately associated with the
coal trade said that the miners strike had cost them
millions or dollars this year, and that the day not
far distant when the trades unions would recognize
that their leaders were their foes
Mr.. Samuel Sloan, President Of the Delaware, Lacka
wanna and Western Railway, was visited, and, while
Cumberland coal from West Virginia and the semi
bitumnous coal from Pennsylvania would eventually
compel the great companies TO put down their prices
even if the equitable tendency was otherwise