The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-01-29
FORESIGHT DID 1T.
Dealer Says High Coal Is Due to
Summer Buying.

The supply of coal exceeds the de-
mand. Great quantities of it are stack
ed up waiting consumption. Anuclpat-
ing the usual billiards. the coal com
binations fixed rates at such a high
point that they could not get rid OF
their goods. A coal man SAID TO a
State Journal reporter: The operators
were Just sick to lower the rate They
could not market the coal mined and
had themselves fixed the high rate for
q certain period not yet expired. They
wanted to cut their own rates, out II
was such an unusual thing they did
not see hardly how they could do 1t.
Recently the operators and retailers
have reduced the rate twenty-five cents
a ton and in some cases fifty cents.
The miners are getting the same rate
STILL
Another dealer presents this rather
unexpected explanation of the cause or
high coal in a mild season.
TO the Editor of the State Journal:
What was the cause of Usage county
coal selling at 81 and $4.25 this winter
when the same coal sold all last winter
FOR 50 % and $50 per ton? And last win
Ter was one among the coolest winters
that we have had for a long time The
price has lately been cut to $3.75 and
$500
This winter is a warm, open winter.
Last year Usage county was short of
miners. This winter they have plenty
of sinners. Now the question is what
caused coal to go up?
Some say that the coal dealers COM
bine was the cause.
Some say it's prosperous times and
some say other things were the cause
But the fact is the people are to blame
Last winter the people bought coal just
as they needed it and the price remain
ed steady all winter at S3.25 and $3.50
per ton.
Last September and October the peo-
Die all over Kansas began to fill their
coal bins and sent in orders for five,
Hffann nd lots The
miners and mine owners could not get
out coal fast enough to fill the orders
so they advanced the price twenty five
cents per ton. Still orders rushed in
faster. The operators advanced the
price twenty-five cents more. The mad
rush for coal continued and the OPP
orators put up the price the third time
and Of course the retail dealers ad-
Vanced the price too. After the price
reached $500 and $4.25 the people said
coal was too high. So they began to
look for a substitute. They found the
farmers were selling wood at $3.50 per
cord, so those that did not fill up with
coal made a rush for wood.
The farmer soon sold more wood than
he had. So the farmer put the price
up to $500 per cord, and the people be-
gan to look for another substitute for
coal They found out that cObs We're
selling for cents per hundred. It did
not take long to clean up all the cObS
and then cobs sold for 10 cents per hun
dred. So there it goes all along down
the line.
For illustration, if one hundred men
started today to buy city property, in
one week city property would advance
to twice the present price. Now next
summer coal will be selling for SO. 25 and
$3.50 per ton again. But if you want
four and five dollar coal next winter
just repeat the filling UP process and
YOU will get it without a doubt. But if
you viii buy your coal as you need it it
VIII not go up. There is nothing saved
by laying in your coal for the winter,
for six tons fresh coal will last as long
as eight tons of dry coal.
Some people say. well, I want to put
in my coal all at once and be done
with it. But you don't know that you
are causing the price to go up and
thereby working a hardship on the
poor people. c. A. GOODWIN. Z