The Jersey City news., 1892-05-21
THE june CIRCULAR
Local Coal Dealers Expect
Another Advance in
Wholesale Rates.
THEN UP GOES THE RETAIL.
Is There Anything to Prevent the
Reading Combine From Fore
ing Prices to So a Ton.

SO far the coal consumers of Jersey
City have been spared from the raid
which the Reading combine has made
upon the pockets of consumers through
out the State. THE JERSEY CITY NEWS
has already explained the reason why.
The local dealers association did not join
the State Coal Exchange. The members
or the local association, although taxed
by the combination an average of an adj
ditional twenty-five cents per ton in the
April Wholesale prices. deemed it mex
pedient to raise the retail prices at sea-
son when their customers were not forced
to Immediately lay in their supply for
next winter. The circular received from
the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and
Iron Company, ''Lehigh Valley Depart
ment," on May 2, however, has agitated
the members Of the local dealers associa-
tion.
THIS YEAR AND LAST.
Here are the many wholesale prices in
comparison with those of the correspond
ing month of last year,
This year. Last year
Broken. ............. ..........$3 IS SO rs
Egg.........-....... ..........- 90 . 20
otoVe... ....... ................. 15 3 20
OnestnuD ........--............ w 90
*Pea tfor steam purposes)...... 70 290
FTen cents additional where the company's
coal pockets are used. This particular brand of
coal fuctuates and last summer reached S4 so a
ton wholesale.
Here is almost an increased average Of
th1rty-tive cents per ton on family coal.
The local dealers say they cannot possi-
bly stand such an increase in wholesale
prices without raising the retail prices.
But 1t is not this alone that is agitating
the local dealers. In the May circular
Clanaa in which fha
states that it reserves the right to change
the prices at any time. All sales must
be subject to the circular price in force at
the time of shipment. without regard TO
date on which the order is entered.
A RASCALLY RULE.
Heretofore it has been the custom Of
dealers to purchase large quantities of
coal in May and pay cash for it. The coal
was delivered at intervals during the
summer but the dealers reaped the ad-
vantage of the May price and the dealers
took orders accordingly. BY this method
consumers were enabled to order their
winter supply early in the summer and
have 1t put in during the fall. The Lee
high Valley Department of the Reading
Coal and Iron Company refuses to accept
such orders for thousands of dollars worth
of coal. The company claims that it is
impossible to deliver the coal In May.
The local dealers are inclined to the
opinion that this means a further ad-
vance OF wholesale price In the June cir
cular. For that circular they are eagerly
waiting.
HUDSON DEALERS TO MEET.
The Hudson County Coal Dealers AS
sociation will meet on the first Monday in
June. The June circular will be dis
cussed. One of the most prominent MEM
bers of a down town firm this morning
said in the presence of his partner:-I do
not see how we can avoid adding at least
fifty cents per ton to the present retail
prices. That. however. will depend upon
the June circular issued by the Lehigh
Valley Department Of the Reading Coal
and Iron company. We may possibly
have TO raise the additional figures higher
than fifty cents. For my own part l do
not see what is to prevent the combine
from forcing the prices up several dollars.
/ remember sometime ago when a COM
bine forced the retail price to 50 ton.
There was a collapse. The members got
fighting each other, and the retail price
dropped to So ton. But the present
combination is much stronger than that
one.
st. Andrews Workingmen's Fair.
E-s