The evening world., 1888-01-03

fOre-PurChnne by the thti- III
Where Formerly IL was Taken by the
Bushel-Little Profit for tho Retailers.
Volumes might be written on the sufferings
entailed upon the poorer people in New YORK
through the strenuous attempts made to ad-
vance the price Of coal.
To the business man, whose hearth-fire Is
always bright, the increase in price is imma-
terial. But TO those whose means are not suf-
fcient, according az the market prices Of the
necessities Of life rise or fall, the advance OF
81 or 81. 80 in the price of a single ton of coal
makes much more difference than the unre-
fecting reader Of such an announcement
imagines.
There are few well-to-do residents of this
big city who, as they drive past the scores
and scores of old-fashioned, partly
empty coal boxes. situated on 30 many
corners. understand how long 1t takes in the
course Of business to empty one of these re-
ceptacles. Some hold q ton and some more,
and that ton is peddled out q half pailful at a
time.
If the price is low customers buy more.
They can afford to, and the retail dealer is
benefited as we'll.
But with the present charge, though the
weather is cold, the slender purse-strings
open only so far, and ms a result misery fol-
lows the forced. economy and the con
sequences reach retailer and jobber as well.
An EVENING WORLD reporter, who made a
second tour of the small grocery stores along
the east side, heard again the story that has
been told so often.
Some dealers had novel ways of accounting
for the falling off in the coal trade. Others
attempted to suggest remedies, and all agreed
| TINT there WINS more suffering IN tle telp-
ment house districts than there had been for
a long time before. Low prices in coal could
lessen that suffering, but those in whose
hands the power lay were needless OF the
petitions for a reduction.
Andrew Richford Is the proprietor OF q
substantial grocery store ut 1858 Second
avenue. His buxom wife, who thoroughly
understands the trade, spoke for the hus-
band.
1T is pitiful,' she said, "to watch the
little ones day after day rs they come shiv-
ering into the store for a half pail of coal.
There was IA time, and not many weeks ago,
when those same children bought q bushel
ut u time. But then coal was cheaper.
Then, too, we realized something towards
the expenses of moving it. Now, however,
there is nothing in the trade for us. We sell
red ASH coal we charge 20 cents, and for q
bushel of white ash, ~ cents. We formerly
charged eight cents for a pail of coal, and
some dealers, when the price went up, raised
tDBlr charge 10 Ten Genus.
w make nothing on these small sales,
but we have to keep coal, and must sell it In
quantities to suit customers. Yes, we would
do much better, and 30 would our custom
ers, II the prices were more reasonable"
I'VE could not conscientiously advance
the price of coal materially, even though the
price was advanced on 49," Henry Butt, of
i2A Second avenue, delivered himself in this
wise, and continued
Indeed, the advance did not allow us any
inCranae on small Salaa 80 there IL really M
profit i'll the coal business now OF course,
the sales are about the same as they have
been, but that is owing partly to the fact that
we have made no marked difference in our
charges.
If coal was cheaper our customers would
buy in larger quantities, and they would be
benefited and give US, too, a margin on
which to do business. Now we are paying
$5.7 a ton. which is plenty high, though We
are looking for q lower market"
Said u representative of the firm of II. l..
4 +. Rugge, of Sixty fifth street and Second
avenue;
tend with. When coal was lower we could
hold our own with other dealers. Since the
price has been advanced we have not been
able to increase our prices materially.
Then comes the itinerant vender. He
may not charge any more than we do, and
then again he may. Any way, he makes q
big hole i'll our trade, which is prohtless as
it is.
But, you see, patrons want coal, even if
they don't buy but a pailful at a time. For
their accommodation we must keep it. So
all we really get from our sales is the salts
faction that our customers can buy Mt our
store the same goods and as cheaply as else
whore. There is not much money in the
trade, however"
Five cents o bushel Is the advance
charged us on coal, " Baid one of the firm of
Meyer Bros, of 924 Second avenue. I'VE
figure three pals to a bushel. There's q tri-
fe over a cent a pail increase. Now. that ad-
vance. gives us no benefit, especially as our
trade is pail trade to n great extent.
Our sales are about the same, for persons
must have coal in winter. Our customers,
increase. In addition to this, we have the
i~tinerant peddler to contend with, for he sells
cheaper than we do and ii is 30 much more
convenient to buy coal ut your door than it is
to walk two or three blocks for it. A lower
market would help us, but We don't expect it
for a long time"
S. Steirmann, of $50 Second avenue, feels
the effect of the high market as much as his
customers do. In cold weather he sells in
small quantities only, in pailfuls, half pailfuls
and three-quarters of n pail.
In times when the prices were lower and
patrons could afford to purchase in large
quantities, there was benefit to everybody In
the business. but in sales of three, five and
eight cents there is neither honor nor profit,
he said.
In the street peddlers, he went on, he has
strong rivals. They frequently sell for less
than he can, and gather custom, but the pur-
chasers suffer in weight and quality. He
sells for 10 cents q pail.
A GIFT of S0OO,OOO for n College.