New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-07-10
1.-THE NEWS OF BROOKLYN;
OoAJ STILL CHEAP AT RETAIL
GOAL DEALERS UNABLE. THROUGH
COMPETITION. TO ADVANCE PRICES.
,>,or KEEP PACE WITH THE ADVANCES MADE
NJ The BIG syNDrCArEs-THh 'Hr'h''
RATES NAY REMAIN IN FORCE
UNTIL FALL

UNTIL FALL
81, a r,mored advance OF 80 cents q ton
tho retail price Of coal the residents OF Brook
s,in receiving their coal at prices which
-. NOT considered excessively high When the
-, hogan in April. when coal is on account
.,a slight demand cheapest, the price Tor a
both IN Brooklyn and New-York. was "a %
,,o. that time the mining Of coal has been so re-
-.-.o,ed bv the capitalists that the wholesale
...,srs have made two advances In their price,
~ - cents on May l, and another OF the
,s amount on July j. To meet these al
..,r.es the New-York Coal Exchange held
,.s,,ng and unanimously decided to raise the re-
..r nrice of coal in NewYork to %. and some
~-.des to So % a ton. This agreement was lived
- ~ and the new prices went into effect on
July2
:, was supposed that the Brooklyn retail coal
uould follow the example Of their New-York
,rs,hren j. W. Vanderbilt. wel-known coal
a.alsr and a member Of the Brooklyn Coal Ex-
o,.nre was seen by a Tribune reporter yester-
a.v IN regard TO the subject. In speaking about
,hs situation he said:
yves there is a Coal Exchange IN Brooklyn.
We were TO have held a meeting on July I. when
most Of the coal-dealers desired to have every
member Of the Exchange make an agreement to
advance the price Of coal TO a figure which would
give reasonable profit to the retailer But no
meeting was held. and nothing has been done
about It."
IN reply to the question as to whether or not
the price Of coal would be raised IN the near nut
ure the dealer smiled and said:
Well. that is doubtful; you see, the conditions
here are peculiar. There are 30 many firms IN
the business that competition Is fierce. and 1t 10
an extremely difficult thing to harmonic the In
forests There are many Of the dealers whose de-
s,ra tn secure trade induces them to insist at the
nresent time upon selling coal at a loss and so
.here is nothing for US except to do the same
While there is this clashing and lack Of harmony
IN the Exchange a meeting would accomplish
nothing.
We who ask for an advance. want nothing
unreasonable All We ask is that the price be
raised now % cents to cover the wholesale raise
Of May l. and are willing to walt untl sep
tember | to recover the other 25-cent raise OF
July l. so that our customers may nave ample
notice.
COMPETITION KEEPING DEALERS AT WAR.
DO y,u think that there is any likelihood that
these warning factions will be harmonized?'
Well that is hard to tell. The outlook 10
moor but. still, have seen men come to their
senses In ike situations. and the price Of coal
sAvsneed within forty-efght hours we mlgnt
as well shut up our Offices In these ouh months
as fo handle coal at a loss but then you know,
competition Is sharp that We would lose ali
our customers.
Coal is now much cheaper in Brooklyn than
IN other cities. In New-York II Is 50 and 80 70.
and even In Philadelphia, near the mines, al
though they sell long ton. our price, In com
parison. is under theirs. Every cent that we
have saved in the last twenty-five years IN eco
nonical methods of handling our coal has gone
into the househoders pocket Statistics show
that although the output has been restricted.
the consumer to-day receives his coal In this
city at an average Of % cents a ton cheaper tnan
ne paid twenty live years ago.
HIGHER WHOLESALE RATES EXPECTED
"Wn there be any further advance in price
BIZ the whoesalers?"
Yes that is sure to come. The syndicate mas
started out on a regular system Of advance. and
We are looking for 2o-cent increase In septem-
Der. and another Of the same amount by Janu-
ary / This will be an advance OF 81 ton
within six months. 49,.
MANY OF the Brooklyn coal-dealers speak bit
terly Of the condition of prices and the unpuSl-
nesslike actions Of their competitors
By fall the excessive high wholesale rates. IL
IL said will force an advance by local retailers.
but undoubtedly for some weeks the RESIDENTS
OF Brooklyn will enjoy the advantage OF laying
In their winters supply OF coal at inquire mucn
lower than that IN any othe- large city IN the