The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-09-17
HIGH WATER
MARK REACHED
Dealers Do Not Think Coal
Prices Will Advance Again.
INCREASE sl.5O ATOM ALREADY
Advance In This City Larger Than Any 0ihsr
City Yet Heard fTom-Th, Causes
Assigned BY Dealers.


The local coal dealers are of the opinion
that the present rate OF coal. s6.15 ton.
indicates the high-water mark. Those
WHO intend to put In their coal for si.e
winter are beginning to look glum and
despite what the dealers say about tie
price they fear there will be another rise.
Since Friday. there has been an advance
OF $50 a ton In coal.
The advance here has been larger than
IN any other city yet heard froin. and
naturally this has caused q great deal
of comment In New York the .'tfcrerce
in ra 70 is but 81. compared with prices be-
fore, the rise, while in Philadelph'a u is
but rs cents.
This the local dealers attribute To the
conditions here as contrasted with those
I'm the other two cities.
IAN Interior demand" that New Ycrx
and Philadelphia do not have the rea-
son given by one dealer for the heavy adj
vance In this market.
THE MAXIMUM REACHED.
Robert f.. smith orr. E. Smith a. Co.
said In any opinion the present Tiice
is az high as the schedule will 80. IL
does not seem 10 me that the difnculty
with the coal miners will extend over
period OF more than two or three months,
ard there will he very little coal burned
anyway during the next two months.
comparatively speaking.
.'It seems 10 me that the raise may have
been made with m idea OF stopping orders
that are not, strictly speaking. necessary.
The dealers have but a limited supply.on
hand and are anxious TO bridge over the
period when the amount OF coal TO be se-
cured Is problematicai.
"a great many people postpone but-
ting IN their winters supply OF coal until
after their return from their vacation.
and as many people are now getting back
10 their winter residences. the orders for
winter fuel have come I'm thick and fast.
II know that Is so withtus. and have
reason TO suppose II Is true with the other
dealers We have ALI the orders that we
can attend to and have been obliged TO
shut down on the retailers. That IL
movement that the threatened scarcity OF
coal has made necessary. Comparatively
speaking, there ~ but little coal on Its
way here. and as a natural result, there
IS a stringency, relief from which the
dealers do not clearly foresee.'
Asked IL there was any good reason why
higher prices should prevail here than In
New York or Philadelphia, Mr.. Smith re-
piled rhat he thought there is greater
rhortness IN the supply here, In proper
tioii to the. demand, than is the case In
the cities mentioned.
AN INTERIOR DEMAND
Mr. Frank e.. Holden OF the Interstate
Coal Co.. when asked by News reporter
what reason there was for higher prices
in this city than In others, said:
I'm Providence there is an interior de-
mand with which the cities like New
York and Philadelphia are unacquainted.
Here we supply al the surrounding cities.
towns and villages ! think. too, that II
Is very probable thai the supply bere is
no' as great. compared with the demand
and the size OF the cities, as II Is I'm New
York and Philadelphia.
"Of course Philadelphia. particularly.
has great advantages in location as well
and srices there could not be expected 10
be as irigh as fEey are In this city"
Asked ~ he thought the present price
of coal was as high figure ms would be
demanded. Mr. Holden said '1 think IL
may he stated that Il Is about as high
as will obtain. or course that is some
thing that conditions will determine. but
81 seems to ne that the present figure is
about the high water mark"
II appears that Just at present the re-
tail dealer Is having hard shedding also.
lie H. having hard time getting coal for
tfc whoesalers.are not anxious to dispose
OF st 10 him The wholesalers can get
sufficiently good prices from the con-
snmer 70 make II worth while refusing to
dispose OF coal TO the retailer as long as
the present stringency continues.