The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-05-04
ABBETT'S GREAT Fight
He is Preparing to Move on
the Coal Trust With
Deadly Effect.
PRICES TAKE A JUMP.
For Once the Retailers Combine
Protects the Public-No In
crease Here as Yet.
Special b the Jerseu oitu Nelps.

SPcS@Nt ~ Ttc scD NttV A'etcSs
TRENTON, May 4, 1s92.-When Governor
Albeit arrived at the State House yester-
day he found that plenty of work had ac-
cumulated during the week, in the way
of correspondence and other duties which
demanded his immediate attention. Be-
sides this there was an array OF politicians
on hand to confer with him upon matters
of Importance in their section. 1t was
expected that he would designate the
papers which are to publish the laws of
the last Legislature, but not so. His
hands were full, and he set to work to
get rid of what he already had on hand.
During the day, however, he addressed
u letter to Attorney General John P.
Stockton, authorizing the latter to begin
an investigation of the circumstances at
| tending the recent deal of the Reading
Railroad, whereby the Lehfgh Valley,
Delaware and Lackawanna and New Jer-
sey Central Railroads became part and
parcel of the Reading System, and as to
their legal right to operate in this State,
and authorizing the Attorney General to
employ, if necessary, extra counsel in Or
der TO secure proper results.
The press of New York has several
times recently intimated that the Gov
ernor was about to call an extra session
OF the Legislature for the purpose OF get
| ting at the bottom of the great combine.
| When asked yesterday If there was any
truth in the report, Governor Albeit
stated that he would do nothing further
| until he had learned the result of the At
torney Generals investigation.
PRICES GO UP.
| In half the cities and towns of the State
| retail prices were advanced correspond
| ingIy yesterday by local dealers, and in
| the remaining nun icipalities, except Jer-
! sey City, prices will be increased during
| the next week or ten days in the same
proportion.
1he blow has fallen even more heavily
| in New Jersey than in New York. and
was struck doubtless partially in retail
alton for the refusal of the State TO per-
NIT the bill legalizing the conspiracy to
| become a law. New York has thus far
suffered only an increase in the wholesale
| price of coal. The retail rates are still un-
changed.
New Jersey consumes about three mil
lion tons of anthracite coal annually. The
average advance of fifty cents a ton over
last Mays prices means tnat the consplr-
atorS propose to gather tribute from New
jersey at the rate of s., SOC, 900 year.
Further increases in the wholesale and
retail prices are expected this summer if
the Governor and the Legislature do not
interfere.
Coal always varies in price in the cities
location. In some of them, back near The
Pennsylvania line, and consequently near
the coal fields. the retail price of stove
and chestnut is as low as 81 per ton. In
South JERSEY, especially near the sea
shore, the retail price is as hi2 h as Sc and
S. so a ton.
In May heretofore prices have always
gone down about 25 cents ton in nine.
tenths of the cities. The wholesale
dealers first reduced their prices and then
the retail merchants followed suit. An
increase in the retail and wholesale
prices in the spring and summer is un-
precedented. An estimate of the amount
OF tribute levied by the conspiracy can
therefore be fairly made only by COM
parison of the May prices this year and
the May prices of 1890 ana 1891.
THE STORY IN FIGURES.
Dispatches from all parts of the State
tell in figures the startling story The
retail price of chestnut coal Will have
been advanced in Newark in a few days
so cents ton. In Morristown it has al
ready been advanced 35 cents a ton over
the prices or last May. In Washington
a retail increase of so cents a ton is in
effect. In Orange there has been whole
sale advance of 40 ton aud the retail
dealers are preparing to follow the ex
ample of the railroads In raising prices.
Chestnut coal has risen at retail in New
Brunswick so cents a ton.
Paterson's retail price Is now forty
cents ton higher than last year, and the
wholesale dealers have just been notified
OF an increase in wholesale rates over the
eXorbtant winter prices. and they expect
to be compelled to force the consumers to
pay the new advance.
Red Banks retail price has gone up
twenty-five cents above the winter prices,
and to point fifty cents higher than last
May. Passaic dealers expect to ORDER an
advance at any moment. So do the Plain
field merchants. HoboSen coal dealers
were notified yesterday that the coal
barons propose to bleed consumers in that
town TO the tune of twenty-five cents a
ton above the winter rates, and retail in
crease will speedily be ordered.
In all these cities the wholesale and re-
tail prices of stove-size anthracite coal
have also been advanced proportionately
or Will be advanced.