Evening star., 1900-10-18

bark in the retail coal business and take
scme of the medicine that Consumer" pre-
scribes SO freely.
No coal dealer. in the keen competition
for business of the present day can afford
to stock rail coal, from the fact that he
must pay heavy ground rent and interest on
his money, suffer the deterioration in coal
from exposure and bear the extra expense
or screening all coal exposed for three
months. If the dealer stocks his coal In
June and sells the same coal in October at
June prices he loses 80 cents per ton pro-
viding coal did not advance so cents per
ton at wholesale meanwhile. The dealer
stocking coal would have the disadvantage
of having ristiy-iooking coal to compete
with fresh h-mined coal. that every dealer
aims to have. Another thing 1 will tell
consumer on the quiet. that the average
dealer has not the cash to purchase his
quarter years stock, let alone his season s
supply.
For thirty business days the last week in
August and the month of September just
passed, the delivery of one firm in this city
was 400 tons per day, or 1900 for the
thirty days. representing nearly $4,000 of
solid cash that the dealer had to rake to-
gether with which to conduct his business
for five weeks. Another fact right here,
that dealer in handling this immense bust
ness has not made up to the present time
one cent, counting his business year from
May ]. from the fact that man, to be In
position to do business when the season
openS-and that means heavy losses for
the summer months-the dealer is compelled
to keep his horses and men through the
dull season. 1t takes two months Of good
business to catch up.
The coal dealers of Washington have act
ed in this crisis like honorable men. There
has been disposition on the part Of any
OF the dealers to take undue advantage.
Coal today cannot be bought at wholesale
at any fixed price. That coal will he high
er by considerable than it was the first
cay Of September goes without saying
The miners have won their fight That
means higher prices for coal, and "Con-
sumer' will be compelled to help buy the
miners more meat and more bread, and to
help clothe him, his wife and children bet
ter. Consumer can rest assured of this
fact that in the event OF coal declining the
re esponsible coal men of this city will meet
the market like men. and II they have to
sell coal below cost they will not whimper.
Why does not Consumer" buy. pay for
and store his coal In June? For the same
, reason that the dealer has. lack Of space,
lack of cash and because pile Of coal In
June Is an awfully discouraging thing to
look at.
While writing the closing sentences the
Railroad Coal Company called me up by
telephone and announced the fact that the
strike was practically ever, and that the
operators expected their men to go to work
next week: that their company had given
the men all they asked for: that the COM
pany would Issue circular Thursday an
nouncing the price of coal, and that the
price would be 80 cents per ton higher than
the September circular. and that all orders
would take the price Of the new circular.
The coal dealers will now promptly arrange
their affairs and the price of coal at re-
tall Will be regulated by the wholesale
market. / am sure that IL the people OF
Washington knew of the trials and chances
that the retail coal dealer has to take in
the conduct of his business. no one would
willingly jump on him by adverse criticism.
VIM. II. BAUM.