The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-06-30
COAL IS GOING UP
Wichita Consumers Will Help
Pay for the Big Strike,
RISE OF 20 TO so CENTS
Per Ton Is Scheduled to Take
Effect July |.
Use OF 20 TO so CENTS

Wichita has begun to feel the effects oil
/ the prolonged coal strike In the districts OF
southeastern Kansas. southwestern Mis-.
souri,. Arkansas and Indian Territory. The
price Of the fuel has begun to leap upward
by bounds, and there is no telling just
when it will stop. Information has been
received by the leading coal dealers of this
city that the price has jumped up from D
TO 80 cents per ton, and it is hard to AZ
orders at any price in certain qualities OF
coal. This action on the part of the mine
operators is taken as evidence that the
miners are going TO win in nearly, if not
quite all, of their demands. The price is
raised in order to meet the demands of
the strikers in some instances, while on
the other hand It Is said that the cost
of the strike has been so great On the
part of the operators, and so prolonged,
that an increase of the price is necessary
in order to make up the loss. The supply
of coal has also been limited. which would
naturally have tendency TO higher prices.
Mr.. George Walker, local manager of
notice from the mine operators whom he
represents, notifying him of the advance
in the price of slack and soft Goals of
from % to 90 cents a ton. Nothing is said
about the price of hard and anthracite
Goals, but Mr. Walker thinks the price on
that quality will be even greater in pro-
portion than that of the cheaper grades
These prices. he said, were for the eastern
Kansas coal, but now that the strike is
on in Colorado. the price of Canon City
coal would advance perhaps so cents or
more. The strike seems to have affected
all the competing coal fields, so that there
will be so remedy except to quietly sub
nit to the higE prices.
A reporter for The Eagle made the
rounds Of the wholesale coal dealers yes
terday and learned that the expected rise
would be a certainty. Mr.. E. A. Klnnaird.
local manager of the Central Coal and
Coke company, which has large mining
interests in the section made imperative
by the strike, said he had heard of the
expected rise. but he had not yet heard
officially from headquarters. He antici-
pated a rise Of from 20 to 30 cents per ton
on slack and soft Goals. and he said he
would not be surprised IL hard coal should
go up a dollar or more per ton. "Our
people are not doing scarcely anything"
said Mr.. Kinnaird, land 1t is almost i'm
possible for them to fill orders now. I
understand. however, that the mine aper-
ators have secured large number of nom
union men to work the mines, but In order
to get them they had to sign contract
agreeing to keep the workmen a year. BY
doing this the operators have succeeded in
barely filing the demands of present con-
sumption. but they cannot fiji orders for
the coming winter. which they ought to be
shipping right now I understand that
some of the districts affected by the strike
have about settled matters by complying
with the demands of the strikers. but Ar
kansas where most of the hard coal comes
from, is yet tied up. with no show Of
settlement OF differences very soon."
as 1t true that the recent meeting in
Kansas City of the coal dealers had any,
thing to do with this strike or the forrna-
ton OF combination to support the rise
in prices"
None whatever. Such a thing. under
stand, was intimated previous to the meet
ing by some misinformed rewspap ers. but
the idea was preposterous why, that
meeting was held with open doors. and
anyone who chose was free to enter and
take part in the deliberations The meet
ing was principally for the purpose Of
organizing for the protection Of local man.
ayers and the consumers of coal. and fur
ther to try to regulate freight rates and
fight determinations along that line. The
latter proposition vitality affects the re-
tail dealer as we'll as the consumer. Take.
for instance the Canon City coal. When
we first began to get It to Wichita It had
to be sold at IS per ton. We kept on work
ing until last winter It was sold at Ss25,
and would probably have gone lower this
coming winter had not the strike occur
red. In my opinion II will now go back to
the original price of s.. or thereabout"
Mr.. r. T. Churchward. cashier of the
Kansas and Texas Coal company. said
that nearly all OF their mines were tied
up by the strike, with the exception OF the