The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1902-05-19
SUFFERING; HERE
Coal Strike Causes Local
Dealers to Lay Off
Employees.
PRICES 10 BE- ADVANCED AGAIN
Jersey City Distributors Are
Supplying Their Custom
ers By Half Tons.
PRICES 10 Be ADVANCED AGAIN

Al coal famine IS not only threatened in
this city. but is already desperately near
being an assured fact. Should the great
coal strike continue ten days or two
weeks Will see nearly every coal pocket
in Jersey City empty.
CDaIs is selling today at S6.25 per ton, an
advance of 81 over last summers prices.
A further increase of 50 cents per ton will
be demanded within a few days. The
largest companies are only supplying their
own customers by half TONS except to
keepers of hotels and restaurants. Those
who have a ton or so on hand can get
none.
it is estimated that several hundred
men and nearly as many horses have been
laid off. over five hundred men are em-
ployed usually in delivering coal to Gus
toners,
The four great coal carrying companies
the Philadelphia & Reading. the Lehigh
valley the Lackawanna and the Erie
have confiseated all coal in cars on their
tracks for their own use, despite the ex-
istence of documents vesting the title in
tho ecrsig gnees. The companies have the
right to do co. 1t is generally claimed but
they have to pay for it at the advanced
price.
The Lehigh Valley Company, near
Woodward street, closed down at noon on
Saturday, May 10. and opened up again for
delivery on the following Monday. This
was previous to the strike being declared.
At that time the company allotted SO
many tons to each of their regular Gus
toners as dealers. according to the size
Of their regular orders. The company
iv,fa rn 4 in
its pockets until the strike is over. As soon
as the pockets are empty the men will be
ischarged, and the yards closed down A
confiseated all the coal on the tracks in
Jersey City.
Manager Young of the Jersey City Coesl
Company, with offices at No. 5S7 Grand
street said this morningthat his company
Was doing its best to supply its own Gus
toners by dealing out small orders. He
declared that not pound of coal Tor dis
tfibutlon had been moved over either the
Philadelphia & Reading, the Lehigh Val
ley. the Laekawanna and the Erie roads
since Saturday He said he did not care
TO quote the company's prices.
I'VE are retailing coal at 1925 a tom
said Manager Courtland Linkroum, of lie
41GA5O1& &SO1l SOitlpdHEs dt fNTIduu street
and Jersey avenue, .ebut oaly to our Gus
oineTs- We are limiting their orders 10
half a ton, except those OF restaurant and
hotel proprietors. Our supply is rapidly
diminishing. We had to jump in the mar
ket last Monday and purchase coal on the
outside, paying a premium of sixty cents
per ton ard last Friday we We're Obliged
to pay a premium of $1.6o So you sec.
m
former wholesale rates we have raised the
price but 81, and only cur regular Gus
toners can get any from US. There is q
strong possibility of a further advance
Of 50 cents or more ton within a few
days. / can't tell what the market is to-
day 1t is still jumping. Last week some
dealers in order to supply customers
bought on the outside egg coal, paying a
premium of sG25 wholesale. The railroads
have confiscated all coal on their tracks
and the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company
confiscated all the coal in the cars on It's
tracks in this city AS soon as the strike
was declared ON Thursday we were oblig-
ed to lay off 100 men and rs horses. We
have stopped delivery TO any one unless
IN need for immediate use. 1t is lmpossi-
Bile for us TO get coal enough to supply
our customers What we have on hand
will not last much longer"
Nelson r. vanderhof an individual
dealer OF lower Montgomery street, said
he was supplying only his own customers
i'll limited quantities at s6.25 a ton; tnat
he,could get no more, and the amount nc
had on hand would soon be exhausted.
S. t. Peters. of William & Peters, No.
broadway, agents of the Erie Railroad
Company, said:-"We have no coal for
sale. don't know when we will have
any