The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-11


people will resist when oppression becomes
too grievous.
The latest thing in the shape of public
cinch is combination or wholesale coaI-
dealers to force every retailer into COM
pact, which means the death OF competl-
ton, to crafty the greed of the trust.
A simple narrative of facts will make
the proposition clear to the householders
of this City. For the sake OF convenience
and future reference the circular here fol-
lowing will be styled exhibit a:
SAN FRANCISCO July 1, 1895.
Dear Sir: You are hereby notified that the
agreement between the wholesale coaFdeaIers
of san Francisco and the Coal-dealers' Assoc1a-
ton of California has been signed by all the
wholesale dealers and is effective from July /,
1895.
You being familiar with the nature OF the
agreement, therefore it is not necessary to de-
scribe it here. Any information required Will
be furnished on request.
New cards will be distributed at once and
Won are cautioned to adhere strictly to the
rules thereon, whether you are member of
the association or not.
Persons engaged in the coal business prior to
June IA, 1895, and complying with section 2
of the constitution may be admitted to men,
bership in the association until July Is, 1895,
for the present initiation fee of 50, but after
said date the initiation fee viii be 5000. Re-
spectfully, E. K. CARSON, Secretary.
Ofthe $50 retail coal-dealers in this town,
some thirty-fve or forty have not seen fit
TO subscribe to the conditions of the IN
holy compact. They can get in now for 50,
but after July Is (see exhibit Al they will
be charged 5000. If they don't get in at all
they will be compelled to pay so cents a
ton more for coal than the association
dealer pays. For example, the dealer be-
longing to the association pays SIS so for a
ton of coal-2240 pounds. He must sell
only 20O0 pounds for ton and must charge
$40 for that quantity. His membership in
the association entities him to rebate o
so cents a ton. If dealer steps out of the
combine and insists on giving 2240 pounds
Tor ton and exercises the American privi-
lege of selling any kind of coal coming to
the market he does not get the rebate.
The wholesalers engaged in promoting
the proposed trust are the Oregon I'M
provement Company. handling Seattle
coal; r. Dunsmuir & Sons, Wellington f;
Charles R. Allen, Southfeld Wellington :;
George Fritch, Dunsmuir Wellington; R.
D. Chandler, Dunsmuir Wellin gton; J. c.
Wilson & Co., Scotch, Brymbo, Austr allan
and Eastern anthracite; ]. Macdonough e.
Co., Scotch, Brymbo, Australian and East
ern anthracite; Oregon Coal and Naviga-
ton Company, Coos Bay.
Fortunately for the welfare of California
there are some dealefs1yho have too much
spirit and independence of character to
obey the DEGREES of the trust. Moreover,
they have assurance that ample capital to
import coal on their own account will be
supplied if the jobbers persist in the de-
termination to force every dealer into the
association. The offer in exhibit A to let
any one in now for 81 and the notice that
$500 will be charged on and after July Is
must be interpreted as a measure of force
to bring into line every dealer in the
City.
Dealers who do not care to join the asso-
citation go to Dunsmuir & Co. and say
1--WE have been your customers for a long
time and have always paid you promptly.
We want to handle Wellington coal when
our customers ask for it, and we want to
handle other Goals, but we will not be
bound by the rules of the association to
sell only 1000 pounds for ton"
Dunsmulr replies in his lofty and lordly
manner that they must join the association
or pay so cents extra ton for coal
The dealers demonstrate, asserting that
Dunsmuir has no more right to stipulate
that they shall join the association than
that they shall join the Salvation Army,
and if he insists on debating such terms
they will resist.
The idea of resistance arouses the lion in
his nature, and he reminds the protesting
merchants that he is an English subject,
with money and means to fight all com
petition.
The fight will surely come on July Is if
the naughty trust does not recede from its
arbitrary and domineering position before
that time. Wellington coal and Goals from
Australia may be great luxuries but the
people of California viii throw Injuries to
the winds and burn anything rather than
submit to grievious oppression.
When the Cleveland tariff reduced the
duty on coal from IS cents to 40 cents a
ton, the Presidents followers in San Fran
cisco cried: Now coal will be cheaper and
the poor householder will be happier. ="
The tariff hardly got into working order
before the British comb ine appropriated
the 35-cent reduction on duty to its own
treasury and then put cinch of so cents
q ton on American consumers.
1t should be understood that these COM
plications do not refer to steam coal, but
apply solely to coal for household pur-
poses. An enormous feet of ships laden
with steam coal is on the way to San Fran
cisco from Swansea, Wales, and Newcastle,
n. S. w. Within four months the market
should be heavily stocked. Again coal
trusts may not be as powerful and cunning
as they fancy themselves to be. Compe-
tition always exposes the true inwardness
of combination and the people are thus
brought to a knowledge of the extent of
impositions long practiced on them. An
example in this line may be cited. For
years the Cumberland Coal Company, con-
sisting of three firms-rhe Oregon Improve
ment Company, ]. Macdonough & Co. and
J. G. Wilson & Co.-controlled the supply
OF coal used for blacksmithing purposes.
Having monopoly, Cumberland coaf was
advanced from $40 ton to Sill so and then
to $13 so. The trust was about to send it
up to $14, when 1000 tons came on the
Washtenaw the other day, consigned to