Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-19
THE SITUATION GRAVE
Il
Population of Washington
Doing Without Coal.
RESULT OF THE STRIKE
RESTAURANTS AND HOTELS TO
INCREASE PRICE OF FOOD.
Agreement Between Operators and
Miners Ardentiy Hoped for
The Local Conditions.


The situation in Washington as regards
the coal strike is assuming serious aspect.
Dealers in Washington have been unable to
get anthracite coal for their customers and
the price has advanced. The proprietor OF
one of the fashionable cafes said to an
Evening Star reporter this afternoon that
he was paying s14 ton for anthracite coal,
and that the coal dealer could supply MIN
with only one ton. When asked what the
price per ton for coal tomorrow would be.
the dealer declined to say what the price
would be.
An Evening Star reporter visited num-
Der of hotel men and cafe proprietors today
and the information received from the IN
yestigation was that If the price OF coal
should Increase, there must necessarily De
an increase IN the price Of food. Coke has
become an important factor as substitute
for anthracite coal In the days before the
strike was inaugurated coke could have
been purchased in washington at nominal
price. The scarcity Of anthracite coal has
brought coke to price that is Immediately
following anthracite coal.
A careful investigation of the conditions
that obtain in wa shin9ton places the sup,
ply of anthracite coal on July y at N,ooo
tons. 1t may be gratifying to know that
quite number Of dealers in coal. some of
whom affiliate with the local association of
coal dealers, have used their interests In an
endeavor' to supply their own customers
with the commodity at the old price
These Dealers according to their own
statements, have realized that laundres,
hotels. lunch rooms and other business
places where the public is concerned must
have fuel Those who have given the sit
uation in the anthracite region attention
are hopefuT that the operators and the men
who work in the mines may reach an ami
cable agreement within the next two weeks
Bituminous Coal Advances in Price.
The scarcity of anthracite coal has pro-
duced a sharp advance in the bitumnous
product. The normal price Of soft coal
before the strike was inaugurated was
from 1915 to 81 ton. Soft coal is selling
today at from s. to Sc ton, and in not
few OF the downtown cafes one may be
assured by the proprietors that higher
price Is asked for the soft product. Per-
haps for the 'hrst time in many years wood
has become an important factor as a sub
Stitute for coal. Nearly every coal dealer
seen today admitted that wood was being
used for open fires, that is, in CRATES and
fireplaces, and 'notr a few were using 1t for
ranges Wood has also increased in price.
Prepared wood that few weeks ago Was
sold for 81 and $7.50 cord is today quoted
at $3.50. and some dealers have received IS
high as $3.50 q cord
From almost every hard coal dealer in the
city comes the assurance that the strike in
the anthracite region will be settled within
the next few weeks. When pressed for
reasons for such an opinion, silence Is the
answer. What might lead one to think that
the result of"the strike in the anthra cite
region may be indefinite is the fact that not
less than twp firms in Washington are al
ready negotiating in Wales for supply
of coal in the event that the strike in
Pennsylvania shaft not be settled soon. This
Is WELL Known fact and the firms thus in
terested areexpecting to get a supply of coal
from abroad that. in addition to the ex-
,F oy,-yN f,rta Hoy, rnyN1Hy
customers without taking advantage of the
advance that would come from trying to
supply from the PENNSYLVANIA region.
One Of First Cities Affected.
1t would be foolish to say the situation in
Washington today Is not one of seriousness.
The national capital. because of geographic
cal conditions, must necessarily be one Of
the first cities to be affected by the coal
strike. That there Is a scare on the part
of housewives and husbands there can no
longer be any doubt. The Evening Star has
all along maintained a position of conserva-
tism.
1t is safe to say based upon statements
made by number of the leading coal deal
ers in the city, that the aggregate amount
of anthracite coal in Washington today will
not exceed 5000 tons. Fortunate 1t is that
Washington is in a climate where cold
weather does not make ITSELF manifest until
late in the season.
Throughout the city there are coal deal
ers many of whom in the ordinary seasons
of the year are fortified who today are I'M
able to supply their own customers There
has not been a carload of coal received in
Washington from the mines since the third
week of the strike. OF half dozen restau-
rants and cafes visited today by a Star re-
porter the general consensus Of opinion was
that the price of all food will be advanced
| within the next week unless the coal strike
Is in the meantime settled. One restaurant
tuer in F street said he had paid $14 ton
for coal today, and that he was unable to
get a price guaranteed for the same product
tomorrow --'
This would suggest that coal may go even
above that figure This same proprietor
said that he had arranged for carload of
coke, and that he was compelled to pay 50
a ton for. the same
An Instance in Point.
There are many homes In Washington
that have not coal to run the kitchen
ranges peculiar yet an interesting story
was heard this afternoon at the Ebbitt
House. A husband received the following
letter: ,... 81 ,..--
TT is impossible to get coal Go to the
market and send me big chunk of roast
beef"
The husband gave very satisfactory ex-
PLANTATION to his friends.
with the scarcity of coal it Is impossible
for us to resort5to steaks and small fries.
My wife has keen appreciation of the ex-
pense of our household. She has declared
that two days out Of the week shall be
cooking days. On: those days meats that
can be sliced, such as reasts and corned
beef shall he utilized"
Members eof the coal exchange declare
that they ara still maintaining the old price
for coal They say there has been no dis
position on fhe rart of the members to
ask an exofbitantoprice, for the anthracite
product TMey tell lovely stories of how
they have looizeds after the hotels. Iaun-
dries, lunch fEeomsI and other places where
coal might be used to the interests of the
public 1t Is fact that some of the men,
bers of the association have maintained the
old price, Bot, 1t Would be hard to find an
instance where c6Ar has been actually de-
livered at that price