The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-04-30

The Increase VIII Give the Combine
managers S75.0OO.0oo Year
The Monopoly Complete and
Hedges to the Public Bruken.
NEW YORK. April SCI PierFont Nor
san. John y Rockefeller and the Wander
bits who control the Anthracite Coal
Trust have decided to add SI5-00oo33
year to their profits. One-third of this
sum they gain through economic methods,
made possible by combination and they
VIII reap S50o09.o5o from consumers by
raising the price OF coal 81 Il ton
An ingenious scheme, intended 10 pre-
vent hostility to the advance in price. is
disclosed by circulars which have just
been issued by retail dealers to their Gus
toners II Manhattan the retailers
announce that the price OF white ash coal,
domestic sizes, IS from $5.25 to $5-53 per
ton. according to quality, but that orders
at these rates viii be accepted only for
May delivery. In Brooklyn prices are
given as follows for the coming SIX
months: May, $3.50; June. $3.50; July, $5.70
August, $3.50: September, $500; October,
So
There is to be q progressive advance in
Manhattan similar to that in Brooklyn
This IS the result Of d circular issued by
ing decreasing rate OF discount to the
retail dealers according TO the month Of
delivery. The nominal price Of white ash
coal loaded on floats in Jersey City is S4.65
ton. hut in a private communication 10
the middiemen the big coal companies say
that a discount of 80 cents a ton viii be
allowed in May, 20 cents in June, and so
on until the discount disappears entirely
at the end of September
Before the community of interest in
the anthracite trade was organized, there
were under ordinary conditions two prices
for coal every year. What was known as
the summer price generally extended
from May I to September / The winter
price was usually 50 cents more than
that which prevailed during those four
months. HousehoIders who had sufficient
money and storage room laid in their
supplies for winter at the low price
This year, with the combination in con-
troI Of the situation producing more than
four-flfths Of the total output, there is no
summer price The price for May is on
Iy Z5 cents lower than the highest price
of last winter, and before the end OF the
former IoS-prfce period coal viii be high
er than it has been in this city since the
collapse Of the Mcleod monopoly, eight
years ago
Last year househoIders had their coal
put in during the summer months at 81 rs
ton The rate prevailed through Au-
gust, while the price this year viii be
$3.50 The whole of the advance is not
represented by the apparent increase in
the wholesale price In May last the
wholesale rate was 80, as against SAFE
At present, allowing for the discount Civ
en- for the coming month There was
much cutting Of rates last year, however
Which made II possible Tor the Tetalie!
to give a low price tC the consumer Rate
cutting is now thing of the past
In advancing prices, the Anthracite
combination has broken distinct prom
ises which were made to the public WheT
it was formed four months ago TIT
trust was created by the purchase by tbs
Erie Railroad Of the Pennsylvania Goa
Company in December, followed N Jan
uary by the sale O. the Jersey Contra
Railroad TO the Reading. Both Of theS'
great deals were engineered by J Pier
pont Morgan, who thus acquired supreme
control Of the anthracite market for nm
self and his friends.
at that time Fred-E. Seward, editor O.
the Coal Trade Journal, made the fol
lowing statement:
las the result of recent combination!
brought about by MI Morgan. the stock
holders in the corporations engaged IN tn
anthracite coal trade viii pocket 80. 600,
Ceo q year IN addition to the former prof
its The lion share of this vast sum VII
e to Mr.. Morgan and his associates, Johl
D Rockefeller and the Vanderbilts- Wht
together control lines which handle S
per cent OF the total output Of 20.Oe0,O5
tons Without any advance to the con
suner they viii reap an additional prof
OF % cents ton
Mr.. Seward then predicted that the Goa
paagnates would be satisfied without rails
ing the price He said that to do s.
would invite dangerous competition Of bi
luminous coal with anthracite He wa
Of the same opinion yesterday when see
by a reporter
1.-THE advance shevvn by the circuIa IS o
the retailers is startling" he said. Tn
trade Is in stronger hands than ever be
fore, and the men IN control can max
winter prices the year round If the,
wish.
THE DECISION Kissed.