New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-09-28

terday- All seemed a loss know what the
near future held for them.
The hospitals still supplied with coal
George T. Stewart superintendent of Bellevue
Hospital, said yesterday that that institution
had plenty on hand, and had not as vet felt
the scarcity. Myers & Co. contractors for the
hospital. not being pushed but at demand
supplied the needed amount of anthracite. The
Harlem Hospital yesterday received what 1t
asked for at contract price
CITY PUSHING CONTRACTORS.
Some of the city departments are suffering.
and though their heads have little to say on the
subject they are being hard put 70 it 70 get
coal Contractors are pressed TO live up TO
their contractors even though at great loss
But if the time comes when absolutely no coal
can be had it is not likely. SO coal man said
yesterday, that the contractors will be pushed
by the city authorities.
Soft coal went up yesterday to So 80 a ton on
board an increase OF 80 cents over the day be-
fore and an uptown dealer was selling bituni-
nous at s11 ton, price never before obtained
for soft coal in this city. it is asserted.
SMOKE QUESTION SERIOUS.
The question of smoke becomes more serious
the more bituminous coal displaces anthracite.
President Ledere of the Board of Health. when
asked if the ordinance would be enforced Wig
orously. said:
There is very little to do IN the matter
There is so little anthracite in the city that TO
keep the great city furnaces going soft coal must
be used Everybody is trying TO obey the Or
dinance as far as it is possible to obey it. There
is no clause remember. in the ordinance cover
ing smoke consuuers-only in regard to the
fuel used II only soft coal can be had, what
are you going to do? The courts are practically
ignoring the violating of the ordinance People
using soft coal are doing all they can TO keep
the smoke from becoming nuisance There is
more soft coal burned to-day than few weeks
ago, but any one see that there is Tot so
much dirt before The whole thing in
a nutshell is 70 do the best under the eircum-
stances"
WON'T QUOTE PRICES AHEAD.
There is in trying to quote prices
now" said one of the leading Wholesale ard
retail coal dealers. The coal famine is upon
u.s. and there is no such thing fixed price
II is the getting of the coal that troubles US
now. not what We have to pay for it. We have
been instructed by some Of our hotel and office
building customers to keep them supplied with
coal regardless of the price If can get the
coal we will keep them supplied. il we have to
pay 800 a ton. But have not been able to
pick up ton of anthracite in this market in a
week"
Many of the larger dealers are limiting their
deliveries to half ton at a time. and nearly all
have promised orders ahead for two weeks
What will you sell ton OF furnace coal for
to be delivered next week.? was asked or a
dealer yesterday We make our price only at
the time the coal is delivered" was the reply
We will not quote prices for one hour ahead
Curtis & BlaisdeI. who have one of the largest
contracts for supplying coal for the schools, say
that no school in Manhattan is without sufficient
coal to last month after the cold weather be-
gins and many of them have enough on hand 20
keep them going until March This firm will
deliver on Monday a quantity OF coal to the
schools that has been released to them by the
Philadelphia and Reading Railroad
The operators still maintain that the strikers
will soon return to the mines. and that no con-
cessions will be made 10 them
We have taken the position we have on prtn-
cple" said an official of of the coal roads.
'and If the public suffers 1t must place the
blame where it belongs-on the strikers. not on
the mine owners. The acts of violence that are
now matter of daily occurrence in the coal
fields should be evidence enough that the opera
tors must stand for their rights. The rioting is
only another manifestation of the same spirit We
have had TO contend with from the first"
Among the first 20 suffer seriously on account
of the coal famine the washerwomen in the
poorer districts of the city They have not been
able TO increase their charges for washing to
keep pace with the advancing price Of coal. and
now the cost OF necessary fuel is great that
little or no profit is left them for their labor
Frank Tucker. general agent for the New
York Association for Improving the Condition OF
the Poor. says that no provision has yet been
made by the organization for supplying fuel TO
the poor during the winter
The situation has not yet become critical
with us" he added 1t will become so no
doubt at the same time that il becomes critical
for every else. Then we shall do the best
can
We are not prepared now TO supply any one
with coal, because we have been unable to OBJ
tain any. Moreover. cannot obtain a prom
ise from the dealers to supply US When the
crisis comes we shall turn TO coke or some
other fuel We may supply oil stoves
though that would be last resort
we have about six hundred families depend
ent on us and expect that many others that
have been self-supporting will be forced oy the
high price of fuel. 10 come 10 US lot alu curing
the cold weather
SUBWAY SUPPLIES FUEL
In speaking Of the sources of fuel supply 'or
the city's poor Mr.. Tucker gave prominent
place to the subway
MANY a family will keen warm this winter
with fuel from the subway" he said Every
night YOU may see an army of men. especially
men who work in the subway. carrying nome
great bundles of wood. The miles anu iliiioS
of snoring timbers provide an ample supply OF
good wood that is being carried aWay s - - awav
Quantities that many must be storing IL away
for the winter
All over the city the army Of fuel gatnerers
has been unusually active IN tne iase go AZ
children dragging home boxes. oarreis'- ouiiieS
OF wood-anything that win burn, .,, -