Evening star., 1900-10-18
THE RETAIL COAL DEALER.
A Reply to the Comments of One of
His Critics.

To- the Editor of The Evening Star:
desire to state a few facts in connection
with Consumers" assertions in Tuesday 5
Star in relation to the price of anthracite
cSal. Consumer" points out Qrom his
vast knowledge of the busineSs} exactly
hev coal dealers conduct their affairs. The
inference is that If they do not go
the way he says they should, then they are
not good business men and are only worthy
OF contempt.
If Consumer had made his statements
only through his own mouth no coal dealer
would have paid the slightest attention to
him But when an influential paper like
The Evening Star is made his mouth
piece and especially when he calls on the
coal dealers to answer his assertions that
he claims are well-known facts, 1t is time
for some one to speak for the trade. Now
the truth of the matter is that Consumer
in his article has not made correct state
ment, with the one exception that coal has
advanced 81 per ton. The whole thing is so
0nJuSt 10 the coal dealer and far from
the facts that l am sure that any fair
minded person who has been guilty of mis-
Statements TO the prejudice of innocent peo-
pie will hasten to correct, If possible, any
damage that he may have thoughtlessly in
ficted on honorable merchants.
Consumer" says: 1T is very patent to
and generally understood by almost every
regular consumer of coal IN this city that
our coal merchants buy their ensuing sea-
sons stock of coal as near they can
estimate the quantity they will sell, basing
such estimate on the quantity sold to their
regular customers last season, in the early
summer and at the wholesale rates then
prevailing. Contracts Of such purchases
are then male and hold good in price until
every ton of the contract order has been
furnished
The above statement is not correct No
coal dealer in Washington is able to make
contracts with any shipper of coal to This
city for period longer than the current
month. Large and small dealers are al
treated alike The coal dealer orders from
the agent 100 cars of coal in June at a
stated price. To be shipped soon as pos
sible; fifty cars of the order are shipped
in June. July ] coal is advanced al whole
sale 80 cents per ton. Mr.. Coal Dealer S
order Is Immediately Cancelled, and II he
wants the other fifty cars at the 80 cents
per ton advance he gets them, If he does
not his order is wiped out. 1t makes no
difference to the railroad people (who con-
troll the coal mines) as to who sells the
coal at retail. The large dealer has no
advantage over the small one. All dealers
pay the same price for coal when sold by
the lot Another thing right here that
IS intereSting-for every ton of anthracite
coal brought into Washington the railroads
get - per ton freight. If the dealer buys
from small operator he has to pay the
freight In cash before he can touch the car.
II the dealer buys from the Reading or
OF the following month to pay in cash for
all coal sent him the preceding month.
Even shipments made on the last days of
the month have to be paid for on the 9th,
sometimes days before the coal arrives.
l mention these facts In regard to the way
coal is paid for in reply to Consumer 81
statement, In which he says: 1T Is well
known 10 every regular customer of a coal
dealer in this city that the aforesaid dealer,
being careful and sheewd business man.
will stock his yards in the late summer
season for good fall and winter trade
and earnestly solicitS his customers trade
for the winter at the prices fixed In Sep
tember the basis of the cost Of coal paid
by him in June or July Therefore, may
/ inquire why all this scare has been in
as to the extraordinary rise in the price of
that the strike at the mines does not in
fact. effect the price of coal already on
hand here In the yards. And l may again
say. 10 Is passing strange il every coal
merchant in this city has not laid in his
winter stock before so late In the season,
at least contracted for 1t at the price
prevailing In June"
There are various reasons why the coal
dealers Of this city do not do az Con
sumer' dictates. In regard to handling his
supply In the late summer at a price pre-
vailiHg In the early season the coal dealer
can no more get coal guaranteed him at a
price for future delivery that he can do any
other impossible thing These are facts
that The Star or Consumer can readily
obtain by going to the headquarters of the
Reading or Pennsylvania railroad. or the
. best way to find out all about 1t is to en-