Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-01
.PART|All,|TY ALLEGED
Coal Roads Discriminate
Against Washington.
THE CHARGES MADE
LOCAL DEALERS VIEWS REGARD
ING HHE FUEL SUPPLY.
80 sdi
Brokers and Independent Coal Com
panies in Control-scarcity Of Coal
at. the Capitol.
THE CHARGES MADE

Among the matters to be considered in
connection with the coal situation In Wash
ipgton at the meeting of the joint commit
tee appointed by the District Commission
ers. to be held this afternoon at O'Clock,
will be the charges made against coal-car-
rying railroads as to their discrimination
against Washington. and also the action OF
the independent operators. who. it is claim
ed, are holding up the dealers for the
anthracite product.
Mr. John Kennedy. local dealer, stated
to Star reporter today that he had receiv-
ed seven carloads of coal this morning,
Which had come from the mines Of indi-
Vluual operators. This coal, said Mr.. Ken
nedy, cost $1,000 per ton on the tracks In
Washington :
The independent operators are selling
.helr eoai on the market to brokers' said
Mr.. Kennedy. when they get two or
tnree carloads ready for shipment they
telegraph their brokers and ask them what
price they can get for the coal, and 1t is
linus sold to the highest bidder. The Read
ing ana Pennsylvania Coal Companies, as
wen as the others in the combine In order
10 Keep square with the dealers, will not
raise the price on coal, but these COM
pafIes are not supplying the demand, and
as result the independent operators are
able to get large prices for the anthracite
product. = & -
Unable to Buy at SO Ton.
1 have a, standing order with Balti-
more broker for coal at 50 ton, but have
been unable to get any from him. I under
stand that brokers in New York city have
onered the individual operators as high as
~ ton for coal at the mines. At this
ton" go - -
~, MI IT. Kennedy also stated that for great
many years past he has been buying coal
through regular shippers at So per ton, but
50 Iar TINS season he has succeeded In get
ing only forty-eight tons from them. The
mines or the shipper, he stated, are all
under water. and will not be ready for op-
Grafton until after the LIST Of January -.
FOR TINS reason I do not think the coal
market in Washington will be any easier
until after the first of the year." was Mr..
kennedys concluding statement
Another prominent coal dealer. in an in
terview with d Star reporter said today
that he understands the Lehigh Valley peo-
pie are runpinge coal into Buffalo and New
Io n o over their gym lines at freight rate
to CIV washington, he stated is g per ton. .
said The Stars informant, THE Lehigb Val
ley road gives up 81 of the 81 freight rate to
the roads running into this city. The Lee
nigh Valley Company also claims that when
1t sends cars. to, this city over other roads
it has difficulty and delay in getting the
cars back t-,--1t
Because Of being obliged to divide the
freight with other roads. and because OF the
delay in the return of the cars, the Lebigh
Valley people have placed an. embargo on
shipping coal to Washington. These con-
ditions explain in part the present shortage
In the local coal supply"
Using Cordwood at Capitol
The local nicoai famine is being felt by
members Of Congress. The House Of Rep
Aresentatiyes wasswarmed today by burning
~cordwood the oa1+bankers are empty and
the outlook for a, warm session is de-
cidedly bad at this time. r
The Senate Is getting coal through the
personal Intervention of President Baer OF
the Reading Company. but the House can
get only promises. The Pennsylvania has
promised to put one hundred tons of an
thracite into the House bunkers, but the
promise rs yet has not materialized.
An appeal was made by the sergeant at
arms OF the Senate to the railroad COM
panies for coal at the authorized price Of
1928 ton, and President Baer came to the
rescue Instead of filing the Senate bunk
ers to their full capacity. however, but
small lots are being received
A change in the situation IL looked for
and will have to come soon. especially at
the House end of the Capitol.
Representative Business Men.
The representatives Of the Business Mems
Association at the meeting to be held In
conjunction with the Board of Trade COM
mittee In the Board Of Trade rooms this
afternoon will be Messrs Wilton J. Lam
bert. Louis p Shoemaker, r. P. Andrews,
John Doyle Carmody and Barry Buckley
Through an inadyertence Mr.. W. F. GUIDE
was named Saturday by the Commissioners
as one of the Business Mems Association
committee Mr.. GUIDE appointed the com
mittee and delegated the aboye-named gen
tlemen to act for the Organization.
I Mr.. Lambert is member Of the commit
tee appointed by the Business Mems Asso-
citation some time ago to inquire into the
freight rates on anthracite and bitumino1ls
coal to this city and other eastern certers
to see If any discrimination was being prac-
tfoed against Washington. This committee
found that the anthracite rate to New
York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Wash
ington from the Pennsylvania coal fields
was precisely the same
The bituminous rates. while lower than
those on anthracite are also uniform in
application to the four cities mentioned. 1t
was suggested that the bituuinous rate to
Washington should be lower than to the
cities further north, because Of Its closer
proximity to the bituminous coal fields On
the other hand. however washington is
further removed from the anthracite fields
than any of the other cities entering into
the inquiry and yet enjoys the same rates.
So, all things considered, 1t was decided
that as far as the rates themselves are con-
cerned this city is well cared for
Now the question has arisen the rates he
ing equal, why cannot Washington secure
coal the same as the other cities in this
zone? The case is made all the more ag-
gravating by the fact that cities to the
south sSe receiving shipments which must
pass through Washington, and yet this city
is left without fuel.
e. ~.