St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-03-24
AFTER A COMBINE.
Continued From First Page.

mttee of the st. Paul Chamber Of Com
merce in the same year. The letter Of
Mr.. Wales was as follows:
Chairman Market Hall Mass Meeting,
st. Paul, Mimi: Believing that the
people of the state of Minnesota and
the Northwest desire facts as TO the
prices at which it is possible to furnish
anthracite coal delivered in their terri
tory, the writer Is prompted 10 furnish
herewith report made by the chamber
OF commerce committee in October, 1888,
after careful investigation; and in con-
nection with this report TO say that
upon investigation it will be found that
the prices Of anthracite coal, +. o. b.,
cars at the head Of Lake Superior, and
also the prices at retail in ST. Paul. Min
neapolis, etc, were practically the same
then as at the present time.
Upon investigation the following facts
will also be developed:
Tristan advance in the price of coal
at the mines.
Second-An advance In the cost of
transportation from the mines to Buff
falO.
Third-A decline in the cost of lake
transportation from Buffalo TO Duluth.
but not sufficient to overcome the above
mentioned advance in cost and rail
transportation.
Fourth-The cost of transportation
from Duluth to st. Paul and Mime
apoiS is the same as in 1888.
A copy of the report of the congress
siOnal committee, consisting of Hon.
John Lind, of Minnesota, and others, is
also herewith furnished. This report
explains itself, and may be of assistance
in enabling the people 10 arrive at a.
fair conclusion as to the prices at which
it is possible for the Minnesota dealers
to supply the trade. c. T. WALES,
President Pioneer Fuel Company.
Dated March %, 1893.
The chamber of commerce committee
consisted of Gen. Bishop, as chairman:
Charming Seabury and Lane K. Stone.
The pith OF the report, diveSting it of
cumbersome figures, is as follows:
The present retail price of large-SiZed
anthracite coal in st. Paul is made up
as follows: Cost on vessels az Buffalo,
after going over breaker tan extensive
plant at the mine), loading on cars,
freight to Buffalo, and unloading. per
ton of 1900 pounds, 1910; freight from
Buffalo to Duluth, So cents; unloading
at Duluth, 40 cents; depreciation by
stocking and handling, screening, etc,
and unloading, 30 cents; freight from
Duluth to st. Paul, 81 so; yardage and
handling at ST. Paul, % cents; whole
sale dealers profit, including interest
OH all above items previously invested
in cash, and interest on cost of plants in
Duluth and st. Paul, G5 cents; retail
dealers profit. out OF which he pays for
delivery by wagon to house, 81; total
cost, S. 10. Some Of the above figures
fuctuate slightly, and the above are the
averages of several OF the items.
AS to cost at Buffalo, the principal
mine owners also own the railroads.
and are thus the people to name their
| own price for freight. 1t is believed
| that the following figures would afford
a good return TO the mine owners:
Cost on cars at mines, including all
expenditures and interest on cost of
| permanent plants, $l.75; freight, mines
| to Buffalo, averaging 270 miles, Sl.25;
total IS, instead of 1910, that is charged.
These investigations nave convinced
us OF several things in connection with
the question OF anthracite coal, or fuel
for the residents of st. Paul. First
Our local dealers, both wholesale
and retail, are not making eXorbitant
OF any more than reasonable
from Pennsylvania, and every time coal
is handled it costs something, and in
addition to this expense, the plants are
necessary, and must yield some return
upon the capital invested. Third--COal
could be furnished in st. Paul for less
than present prices at Il profit to all
handling it. were the mine owners so
disposed, and the railroads between
Duluth and st. Paul or Lake Superior
and st. Paul to reduce their rate on it,
which is. we think, now too high. We
think large-siZed hard coal should never
hereafter exceed $3.50 per ton in Au-
gust and September here delivered, but
whether we shall see this price or not
rests mainly with the mine owners in
the East