The Washington times., 1902-12-04

want IT,. Their credit is good. The deal
ers are all En- good standing There is
no trouble as TO pay. The difficulty rs
the lack OF coal supply. What YOU have
said concerning Washington is equally
true OF Baltimore. It might be more
vigorously expressed as TO Boston. which
is I'm a much more serious condition.
There is not enough coal to supply the
country We will not accept a higher
price than will permit 60 90 retailed i'm
Washington at S7.25. None OF your deal
crs with whom we are doing business or
have been doing business have failed to
sign the agreement They did it willing
ly. recognizing the equity and justice OF
our request
In Need Of Coal.
"Thc entire question is one Of having
The coal TO ship. We must equitably
distribute what We have. and we are en-
dcav0ring to do SO.
The demands for anthracite by the
transportation companies is uuproce-
deuted They are unable 90 secure enough
hituminous coal to move their traffic.
and are compelled to take anything they
can get. even if 80 is necessary TO seize
cars OF coal on the sidings. The roads
are choked With traffic.
Washington has had o little less than
its proper supply OF coal We did no;
have cars enough to meet the demand.
1t became necessary for those we had TO
BE- operated only on our own line OF for
the collieries to shut down. In fact
several did shut down. IL was accord
ingly ordered that no cars be permitted
10 20 on cur road. Il is to your interes;
as wen as ours that the coal outpuJ
should be as large as possible. No en-
barge has existed az any time against
Washington. The restricted Reading car
movement has applied 10 all territory
not Immediately on the line OF the Read
ing road. Despite this. coal has been
forwarded to the city. the records show
ing f7 cars on November %. November
2S. ga November %. A.. November 80.
81. December /. so. December 2. 20 cars.
and today there are oven 40 cars loading
for Washington.
Price Not Questioned.
retail price as fixed by this company
in an effort to protect the public. All
Of the fifty or sixty dealers with whom
we have been I'm the habit OF dealing di-
rectly and Indirectly have signed the
agreement 10 sell our coal at S725. We
charge them S3.75 at the mines. and the
freight to Wa. hington is So We. Of
Fv h. NH F,.r,
they shall sell other coal as long as we
are unable to supply them with all they
need 20 supply their customers Several
dealers have asked IL we object TO their
buying from other collieries and our in
variable reply has been wen be much
obliged to you II you viii. Such pur-
chases but assist in relieving the situ-
alton
THE underlying cause Of the trouble
IS the lack Of coal We are doing our
utmost increase our output Added to
the shortage is the lack Of cars in which
20 move that which We have We are
shipping by both the Baltimore and Ohio
and by he Pennsylvania Railroad. and
experience no difficulty in getting our
cars through
AT the close OF the strike there was
a shortage Of $4,000 600 tons When
operations we're resumed the mines were
filled with water. timbers had rotted and
many gdngways caved in. IL Will be
three months before we reach our nor
mai output In the Wyoming section Of
the Pennsylvania we understand an en-
barge exists as TO all points because
OF congested traffic"
Direct by Rail.
In response to a question Mr.. Hender-
son said that all the coal they could
Jet Washington have could be sent
direct by rau without the necessity OF
resoriing 90 water transportation from
tidewater points. Fifty cars day, he
added. means about 200 tons. The nor
NAL winter consumption OF the city is
about 1000 tons. In case Of severe
weather that amount is sometimes
doubled
- Maury Dove handles about $4,000
tons OF coal year. Every week he
has visited this Office and used every
argument TO secure larger shipments
than We have been able TO give him. %
Mr. Henderson concluded.
Thomas vs.. Smith stated that he was
informed that j. Maury Dove had 1000
orders on his books which he was un-
able to fll. Continuing. Mr. Smith said.
III my information is correct. the deal
ers are taking orders only from their
regular customers ana there is a large
population that has no one 20 whom to
look for coal. Some OF our business men
have agreed TO form syndicate to bug
coal 10 supply these people VIII you
Jet us have ten carloads Of coal a day
for that purpose
Where viii we get the coal from
Mr.. Henderson replied. BY taking IL
from the dealers2 7 hardly think that
We could undertake such a measure
Mr. Smith then took up the needs OF
the poor and explained the Joint work
ings of the Associated Charities and the
Citizens relief committee. the FIRST in
yesugating applications for aid and the
latter supplying relief where possible.
he said that John Joy Edison. Of the re-
lief committee. had informed him that
they had heel, unahla fo sorrtra' the coal