The evening times., 1900-01-01
SCARCITY OF SOFT COAL
Lack of Cars the Reason Alleged
for the Shortage
7 he Manufacturers suffer From the
Famine and Big Owners Feel the
Weight of the Increased Price.
BUSINESS Generally Affected - An
other Advance i'm the Cost Expected

| PHILADELPHIA. Jan. 1.-The recent
advances in the prices of bituminCus coal
| during the past three months, together
with another advance scheduled to go into
effect today, have put an extremely grave
aspect upon affairs in the coal market. In
sc ne sections CT the country there is little
| short of a soft coal famine, and should the
present situation continue many mill own
ers Will either have to suspend operations
| or resort to the use of wood
Especially is this true of the New En-
gland milling district where thousands of
| tons are consumed daily. IL is becoming
more and more a problem for the shippers
| to keep the mill owners supplied with coal
and although they are conscientiously try
ing 20 fulfill their contracts, yet in many
| places the supplies are on the danger Inc
On Friday it was announced that there
would be an additional advance in the price
of bituminous coal, TO go into effect sitter
| the first of the year. This will not only
affect the local mill owners. but also. and
probably more materially, owners of tug
7 boats and small steamboat lines. In Sep
| tsnber soft coal was selling at s1.75 and
$3.50 per ton. During October the price
was advanced to s1.9o and in November
stin further to s225 This last advance
reported on Friday will put the price at
S2.5O which means a considerable sum to
| vessel owners.
| The reason for these unprecedented ad-
vances lies with the railroad companies.
They cannot furnish the number of empty
coal ears necessary for the transportation
OF the coal. hence the scarcity Bitumin-
Gus coal is the poorest paying freight
known, consequently when the railroad
companies can load their cars with
more profitable commodity coal is not con
sideT5d \ member of a firm OF prominent
coal dealers stated yesterday that bitumin-
Gus coal would be scarcer for the incoming
year than IL had ever been.
The fault is entirely with the railroad
companies" he said They do not fur
njsh anything like an adequate number OF
cars TO haul the coal to the consumers.
Within the past three months they have
only furnished II per cent of the number
of ears that should have been in use. As
result of this the vessels lying AT the
different ports cannot be loaded in time
and an enormous loss is caused by the de-
lay. Within a short time vessel rates
have jumped from - cents TO s. per ton.
| Ne railroads are not lkely 10 Go any
thing toward loosenng matters. either.
for it is 10 their advantage to have the
prices OF bituminous ccal high. After the
first Of The year they propose 10 advance
the freight rates 50 cents per ton and by
April l. 1900. there will be an additional
rise of % cents While soft coal is scarce
all around. there is less OF il in New Eng
land than anywhere. and two weeks
freeZe-up would put all the mills TO burn
ing wood.
Owners OF Jusboats viii especially suffer
by the increase One prominent owner in
the city stated that it practically means
the putting OF nearly one-half the tugs in
dry docks.
This year has been the worst in the his
tory Of the tugboat business he said
We were just about making expenses be-
fore. but now to carry on business would
mean loss. The coal we have been getting
lately is Of an inferior quality, and we will
be compelled TO burn pea coal until things
look brighter.
The large steamboat companies will not
be affected by it, however as their con
tracts are always made year in advance
Ii was stated yesterday on good authority
that several prominent coal firms had cor
nered the pockets throughout the country
and in this way controlled the coal market
These men will reap a rich harvest when
the contracts for the ensuing year are TO
be drawn up.