The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1893-10-06
THE COAL RATE.

sales were made at $3.50 or therea-
bouts. There is good deal OF pretty
hard ''kicking' going on concerning
the advance in prices among some OF
the consumers who have not yet pur-
chased coal. One of these, in speaking
with aFREEPREsS reporter this morn
ing. said: s'The combine formed blythe
local coal dealers is a great mlsta Ke
on their part Coal is selling in other
towns of the state at less than 1T does
here. and the dealers were making a
fair profit before they decided TO
raise the price. The Board of Trade
is making big fight to secure lower
freight rates to lessen the price OF
coal. and here come the dealers and
advance she price so as to more IMAM
offset any reduction that might be
made"
Others are talking the same way,
and some of the business men are get-
ting figures on coal, contemplating
ordering it in carload lots from Chi
cago. They estimate that it can be
laid down in MankatO at from So to
$3.50 per ton, and it is said that there
is probability of orders for twenty
or thirty carloads at a time going in.
All profess to be willing to allow the
dealers fair profit.
Being DESTROYS to give the public
both sides of the case, a FREE PRESS
reporter interviewed several of the
coal dealers today in regard to the
matter. Said one: 'We made the ad-
vance in price of so cents ton in or
der to protect ourselves, as the whole
sale houses at Chicago and Lake
Superior ports have lately been stiffen-
ing their prices. The talk of anyone
being able to purchase coal DIT Chica-
go or at the lake ports at 1925 or $3.50
is all bOsh and mere school boy talk.
The very lowest that the dealers or
anyone else can get it for is S6.10 a
ton. Add S2.75 for freight rate and
you have the coal in MankatO at S. So.
Then add 40 cents for handling and
delivering and you have 1925, leaving
only Is cents ton as profit to the
dealers, or less that ten per cent. on
their investment. The dealers must
run the chances of short weight on
cars and take other chances. Coal
will not be any lower this fall and the
chances are that it may be higher
after Oct. -
Another dealer said: ''Last year at
this time one-third of the coal de-
mand in this city was supplied, but L
have not sold two carloads yet this
year. The people have been holding
off for lower freight rates, and scarce
ly any coal has been purchased. There
is annually consumed in Mankato
$500 tons of anthracite coal. If the
freight rates can be lowered the price
will be just that much less. At less
than $40 ton there is no money in
coal for the dealers and we might as
well not order any,"
An agent for wholesale coal firm
was in the city today, and stated to
the reporter: 'Our house has had
cry few orders for coal as compared
with former years, as everybody has
been expecting lower rates. When 1t
becomes apparent that prices will not
be lower there will be rush to buy
and the result is likely to be coal
famine, although all the houses now
have large stocks on hand. If early
storms should blockade the roads OF
make any unusual demand allo yer the
country there will be great suffering
I predict more suffering from this
during the coming winter than evel
before. Nobody can get coal for les:
than S6.10 at Chicago or the lake
ports. Ii this was possible the dealers
would be the first to get the lowel
rates, and as all the companies have
large stocks on hand the cut would
have been made before this if there
was going to be any reduction. Various
causes all over the country are oper
ating to keep the price up, and i
will certainly go no lower. The pros
poets are that prices will be higher
and it would be well for people to ge
stocked up with coal for the white
as soon as possible. have been owe
the state since Sept. 9Th and l fin
that in most of the towns the pric
of hard coal is over $40. Only in few
where there is strong competition. O
where freight rates are less, is tn
price lower. In most places the deal
ers want 1.50 margin over the pric
of coal on the cars. but in Mankat
the dealers are only asking $1.1s
When all the expenses are considered
this is little enough. Where there
a smaller apparent profit, the dealer
are apt to give short weight to max
up"
Said another local dealer: I'm
'neighboring town where it is said co;
has sold for 1925, a dealer admitte
tn mo that thav On1v gave 1870 nOun(