New-York tribune., 1895-08-11
COAL PRICES TOO HIGH.
RETAIL DEALERS CHARGING UNNECEs-
SARY RATES.
rxrRAvAGANT ADVANCES IN TIE PRICE OF
nRrAp-coNprTIoN OF THE FRUIT AND
FISH MARKETs-wHAT HOUSE
KEEPERS SHOULD KNOW.

pprap-coNprTIoX OF THE FRUIT AND
FISH MARKETs-wHAT HOUSE
KEEPERS SHOULD KNOW.
Tho prices at which coal is now sold by the rctah
sooIe,s ~ This city. It has been charged by those
,,.nosod to know are entirely out OF pro-
,o-,,or n tho wholesale prices. Coal on board Is
o,, cbcoper than II has probably ever been before.
and there is no immediate prospect OF i's becoming
higher The retail prices Of coal on the other manu.
are Iittc II any. lower than they were "heh much
higher wholesale prices prevailed 1t IS an assured
fact that an almost unlimited amount OF coa' can ne
rcbaacd free on board the piers In this city for
loss than 81 n ton. The average price charged by
the retail dealers is 81 a ton delivered. Ihen.
arai, the retail dealers receive long TONS N'Zo
pounds) and sell short tons t2cp pounds)' IL WI" be
seen that the profits OF the retaii coa uede'S are
et prcsent close to 100 per cent.
Several reasons are given for the extreme low
wholesale prices OF COAL among them being the
fight going on among the big coal companies' ana
the output OF the smaller but numerous ihuiVduai
opcrators Then. again, this Is the duiest season OF
the wear. and much less coal is consumed than at
other times While 1t Is said that the present out
,, of coal from the mines is not abnormally large
q would be smaller were ii not cheaper to operate
the mines at slight loss than to nave them closed
down The cost OF keeping mines Tree from water
when they are closed is enormous ana this Is why
so many of them are now being operated These
ind!V mine-OWDers,
sod coal free on board for as low as ~ a ton
Tho b,g fight which is now being waged by the
large railroad coal companies has its amusing side
Each company is accusing the others OF doihs 'heir
best 10 ruin the coal business. The greatest Of
fender in this regard however. Is said 10 be the
Lehigh Valley Railroad Company. a prominent
official of this company was seen by reporter OF
The Tribune yesterday. and In relation to the
charges ne said he thought it was a case OF "the
kc,tle calling the pot black All the companies
we're tarred with the same stick Ihey are all
trying to do business when there Is but little to do
That is the key to the whole situation he added
The prices given by the Lehigh Valley on coal
free on board ranged from S 30 TO s3 CO. The prices
quoted by the other big companies were about the
same The reporter soon discovered that these were
by no means the upset figures Plenty OF coal could
be bought for 81 ton and even less. These prices
deal entirely with the best kinds OF coal OF domestic
sizes All the companies vowed they were losing
money through the 'cutthroat business they were
doing" and they could see mo clear weather
ahead"
In the reporters Investigations among the retail
coal dealers a remarkable unanimity OF opinion was
discovered. They all asked about the same price
for coal. and did not think their profits too large
Hlgh-grade coal. such the Plymouth red ash
. was held at s a ton. The average price OF good
coal for house purposes was 81 TO- The dealers ad-
mtted they were paying less for coal now than
formerly. but also said they had gone down In
prices themselves They said they formerly got
S a ton for the coal which they selling
for "a go Some OF them said they were selling n
really good coal for A ton. All Of them declared
business very dull: that there apparently
little demand for domestic coal at any figure.
BREAD AND NEAT PRICES
The prices Of bread and meat are like COAL OF
utmost Importance TO the AS told in The
Tribune yesterday. the bread barons Of the Bakers
Trust have raised the price Of bread cent
loaf. About their only excuse for doing this Is their
desire TO make money than they were form
ery doing They not as honest. however. In
their was the hotel-keeper who charged
a guest an exorbitant price for his entertainment.
When the man demonstrated the hote-keeper sail
he did It because he needed the money. The men,
bers OF the Wholesale Bakers Association in Brook
yn have followed the pernicious example set by
their brethren In this city, and have also increased
the price of bread
The prices Of meats do not appear to be SO ex-
cessivey high. The large dealers in fact. say they
are about the same they last year. Just
now prime beef is said to be scarce, but there Is
plenty of the inferior quality In the market The
following are the prices given yesterday by William
Ottman & Co.. Fulton Market: Prime rib roast %
cents: portcrhouse Is cents porterhouse steak. 2s
cents; sirloin steak, % cents; round bone steak,
Is cents veal outlets % veal chops . cents
oin Of veal, 20 cents; breast of veal IA cents hind
quarter of mutton. 16 cents forequarter. 12 cents
English chops. Is cents: rack chops, % cents; one
half spring lamb II cents; hindquarter OF lamb
20 cents; lon chops. 80 cents rack lamb chops, IS
cents; leg OF lamb. ~ cents; breast OF lamb u
cents: smoked ham. 10 cents: bacon II cents smoked
beef. is cents, and smoked tongue IS cents.
William Ottman told the reporter that he thought
the present prices Of meats solely governed by
the supply and the demand and that they rated a
little higher than they did last year the year be-
fore. He said prices were not quite low be-
fore the raise in the price Of beef by the whole
saers in the winter. The retail dealers had lowered
prices some. but not as much they could have
done. had they kept pace with the wholesalers in
raising prices. This they did not do. however. pre-
ferrlng make less money and hold their trade
for better times. Mr.. Ottman did not think there
any corner in the beef market The stock Of
prime beef he said. limited ana II probably
would continue to be until the grass-fattened cattle
began 10 come in.
Prices in Washington Market were quoted as fol-
lows: Prime rib roast. 20 cents; rump and chuck
roaats. i2 IS cents srlon steaks 20 cents hind
quarter OF lamb. lG cents; foreGuarter. Il cents
chops 20 cents. Veal said to be scarce AMI
high. The poorer kinds of all meats said 10
be drug the market. and could be purchased
at Amos, any figure
FRUIT BUSINESS UNSETTLED.
"The fruit business this has be very
settled" said MIR. HEM Of Hem Freeman. the
Fulton Market fruit dealers. to the reporter yes
terday. and. rule. trade has been unprof;-
able. Georgia peaches. at the opening OF the season.
fire and beautiful They we're sold at low
prices. Only few weeks ago crate containing
six small baskets could be bought FOR 81 25. but
now the Georgia peach being about ended.
the price is 81 80 crate. Georgia peaches being the
choicest in the market. Delaware peaches came in
later than usual this season account OF un-
s-asonahly cold weather They are for the same
reason. small In size. though plentiful In number.
Present prices range from 81 - basket FOR
choice fruit which II little less than they brought
at the corresponding date Of last year. Tney VIII
lion. 10 that prices will then be relatively lower
for a better fruit. We now getting some very
fine Jenny Lind muskmelons from New Jersey.
Muskmelons have been poorer and less plentiful.
this season than last season. and like peaches,