Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1888-08-30
HOW WE GET BURNED.
The Prices Of Coal aud How They are
Regulated Wise Western Dealers GIVE
Their Orders Early.

Their Orders Early.
The advance in the wholesale prices Of
coal of from 10 to IS cents per ton and in |
tolls Of 10 cents per ton, which will take
effect September /, is not likely, prom
inent local dealers say. TO affect the retail
prices Of coal in Wilmington This prob
ably, is because most Of the
city dealers, or at least those
who control the local market pur-
chased great quantity Of their stock
and got it into their yards before the
advance, due notice of which had been
given The retail price Of coal in VIII
minGton remains where it was last May
and is as follows.
Broken egg stove and nut, SO per ton.
and small stove &c. % per tom
The Wholesale prices Of anthracite coal
for September delivery, at the mines are
Broken and egg. Sc G5; stove. 800 and
NUT 81. % Go 81 10 These rates are 10
cents higher for broken and rs cents
higher for the other size than the prices
which have been ruling for several weeks
past. The advance i'm tolls is 10 cents
per ton to New York and Philadelphia
markets, % cents per ton to Buffalo and
! 80 cents per ton 20 Chicago The cost Of
transportation from the mines to vii
mington Of ton of coal during Septom
Der will log @l.aj. Hence coal delivered
% dealers IN this city III September win
cost them about as follows: Egg and
broken, $500; stove &i Sj, and nut.
&4.70 Retailed at So This gives profit
of from ail5 to &i.4O per ton. ont of
which the expense of handling and cart
ing must be paid.
The advance in the tolls is the usual
! September advance to the regular winter
rates. The wholesale price of coal has
steadily advanced all through the summer
and It's likely TO advance again in few
weeks, but for what reason. only the
mining companies can say The price OF
coal does not seem TO be ruled by any
law of supply and demand IL Away.
falls IN the spring and early summer
TO its lowest point and gradu
ally goes up as the weather
gets warm. Il is a strange anomaly, that
when the consumers demand is the least
the price is much higher than It Is il
mid winter. when the demand is th,
greatest. To be sure, IN summer Goa
dealers are laying in their stock but thu
supply is always equal TO the demand
About 1000, 00e tons of coal ar
mined per week So far this year %, 1902
! D47 tons have been mined against 90, 600,
tons for the same period last year Al
increase of nearly 600, 600 TO 800. 00
tons, and the price is no lower. Tn
truth is that there is a trust" amonl
the mining companies. and they maxi
the price of coal to suit themselves with
out any regard FOR the laws Of supply AM
demand. The advance which takes effec
September l was agreed upon at n meet
ing Of the representatives Of the minin
\ companies in Philadelphia last week. n
reason is given for the advance Tn
cost of production is no greater than
! has been in the past The labor employee
3 in the mines is not skilled and is not pai
3 very high wages The same companie
that own the mines and mine the Goa
control the transportation companies
The consumer has to pay both the advanc
: in rates and tolls and IL goes into IN
pockets Of the same men.
The retail price In the West, In Bo
ton and ia Philadelphia has been a,
4 vanced IN proportion 70 the rise IN toll
Z and rates combined. The price in d
: New York market win also Be advances
K The demand for coal in the West hi
Il been unprecedented during the pa
q three months, and the amount tran
q ported has only been limited by Il
, transportation facilities. Western dealer
i prohting by their experience Of last fall an
/. winter, when undelivered orders throue
o bad weather and the strike caused
Z stringency ia the local supply, hay
& booked their orders carly and been in
Fortunate in their appeals TO the shiI
G pers and transportation companies to sh
G their coal before the rise in both prize
Z and tolls Many orders for coal viii,
& have been booked for two or three week
& will have to be carried over into ne
IS month, and shipped at the rates ruin
3 them