New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-09-20


White ash. families SO Is
RED ash to Erocers and small retailers ..... 100
Lyons valley superior grade % red ash. 70
1-ykens Valley. small dealers .....:: 20
These prices mean an advance of 70 cents
ton on white ash and 30 cents on red ash. as
compared with the previous day. So far there
has been no increase N the price OF coal sup
Piled to what is known the steam trade. This
trade comprises the manufacturing concerns
hotels. the large department houses and the tall
office buildings. The coal used FOR steam gener-
ating purposes is OF small size. and is known 10
the trade as buckwheat and pea. The prevail
ing price for buckwheat Is SO for a ton of 2.24O
pounds, and for pea So 80. BY Monday the
rates VIII be raised respectively to 81 and 81 30
Although ostensoy the higher price OF domes-
TIC coal is applied by the dealers only 10 the
East SIDE Inhabitants of the West Side, despite
the Iact that they are nearer the terminals Of
the coal carrying railroads and the wharves
Will find that they can obtain supplies no
cheaper than the people on the opposite side
OF the city. The expected sympathetic advance
or oituminous coal has not yet taken place as
general thing, but IN some instances dealers
IN this variety yesterday put up their prices
from 80 20 90 cents a ton
MAY HAVE TO USE BITUMINoUs COAL.
Grove D. Curtis. of Curtis & Blaisden one
Of the largest retailing firms of anthracite coal.
said yesterday to a Tribune reporter:
Unless the strike is quickly terminated man
dtoi urTTs VIII be compelled to bitumnous
coal; Wlthln TWO weeks I expect TO see black
smoke Issuing from the chimneys Of every fac
tSEy ana business place in this city. If the au-
IIoIItles insist upon enforcing the soft coal or
dlnance they will have TO keep on timing the
owners OF factories, and perhaps send them 10
prison, There is nothing else left to do unless
trade is abandoned.
Mr.. Curtis said that the bituminous coal
brought to this city was TOO friabIe for use in
CRATES and stoves. 1t was possible. however. he
SAID TO burn the Ohio and Indiana soft coal in
stoves. That coal could be carried here and
sold at profit at 81 ton. and 1t was DOS
siole' In view Of the prices to which the an
thracite qualities were climbing that this might
De done So long as the Philadelphia and Read
ing miners remained at work the householders
OF this city would not suffer from famine II
they would take the supplies in small auan-
titles
whether or not coal will continue TO advance
at the rapid rate 1t has done since the beginning
OF the week turns entirely the question of
supply. Dealers admit that. foreseeing the stu
alton which has come, they laid in larger stocks
than they would have done under normal con-
ditions, but agree that their stock on hand will
suffice to meet only about a months demand
Therefore, should the strike continue for thirty
days it is possible that the coal carriers will be
greatly embarrassed. The view is expressed
that in such case the companies whose mines
were still unaffected by the strike would aban-
don all trade agreements as to percentage Of
output, and devote their energies to supply this
and other Eastern cities with enough coal to tide
over the winter. In the early part OF 1896 the
operators met and agreed to divide the output
of coal. The Philadelphia and Reading secured
2O5O Of the output the largest percentage. In
case of a famine it is thought that the Reading
would break the agreement and might in fact
be urged to do so by the other roads which were
parties to the pooling arrangement. BY fncreas-
ing the output Of It's mines TO their utmost ca
pacity the Reading, ii is believed, could supply
30 per cent of the requirements Of this city.
DEALERS MAY NOT PROFIT GREATLY
]. Samuel Smoot chairman of the Board OF
Trustees of the Retail Coal Dealers Exchange.
said:
The justification FOR raising the price OF coal
lies in the small storage capacity possessed
by the retail dealers in this city. The largest
will not exceed fifteen thousand tons If such
dealer were to supply on demand rhe fuII
amount of his orders he would exhaust his sup
ply in a day. Then he would have to go to
some middleman who has coal afioat, and pay
an extra price If the mddeman supplied all
the coal which the retail dealers demanded he
would soon nave 10 go out OF business, he
could not secure any more from the mines.
II the retail dealer eXhausts the coal that he
has on hand. and il the strike should end after
he had bought more coal at increase. and
the price of coal went dOwn--as it surely would
his gain on the coal ne has now would no
more than cover the loss on the coal bought at
top prices.
The sales agent OF one OF the largest operating
said yesterday that his concern was
not accepting orders for future deliveries, but
was selling coal as il was received The Sus-
quehanna and Western Railroad. which con
trolls the Scranton region. has eighteen thousand
tons on hand for its own use. but the officials
of the company would not say what amount
was stored for selling purposes. At the offices
of the Erie road IT was said that the company
was not disposing OF any Goa! at present
The officials in this city Of several OF the
operating companies. who hitherto have not
been averse to discussing the situation informed
a Tribune reporter yesterday that they had re-
reived instructions not to say anything further
for publication. They explained that the in
which they had been giving to the
prices. etc. was helpful TO the strikers. as il
enabled them better to understand the condition
Of the companies.
President Truesdale. OF the Lackawanna Rail-
road said that he had nothing yesterday from
the strike district. He said the company had
laid off about 80 per cent of its trainmen in the
district affected The earnings from that source
were affected. he said. but there was no de-
crease in the general earnings.
CHARGES THE STRIKE To MITCHELL.
w H. Sayre, second vice-president and gen |
eral sales agent OF the Lehigh Valley company.
said:
The tieup was initiated solely by asitators
md other outside influences brought upon the !