Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-09
Where Is That Reading CoalP

The local coal dealers who were examined
yesterday by the Senate investigating COM
mittee made an excellent showing for them
selves. AS far as the case went they ad-
duced proof that they have sold coal LOT
only a fair profit. being forced by the IN
adequacy of the supply of Reading COAL
which they have agreed to retail at Wa
and $3.50 ton, to go into the open market
and purchase coal from independent opera
tors, retailing 1t at s12. One dealer. perhaps
the largest in the city, testified that he Is
able at present to secure only two anu
half tons of Reading coal day.
This Is certainly an extraordinary state OF
affairs in view of the promises by the Read
ing corporation to ship at least fifty cars
daily to Washington and the statements OF
railroad officials to the effect that approxi-
mately that number of cars have come
here. This means a daily receipt of at
least 1.75O tons of Reading coal. 1t may be
true, and If so the fact can readily be
established that the great bulk Of this coal
goes to the government departments and
the larger users. But until that fact Is
shown the public will wonder what becomes
OF the cheaper coal promised and appar-
emily actually sent here.
1t Is suggested that the shortness Of the
Reading supply and the comparative abun-
dance of the independent higher-priced coal
point to a secret combination between the
larger operators and the smaller. the ior-
mer selling coal to the latter at rates which
net larger profits than a direct sale to the
public. II such a connection exists 1t Is
abominable and its exposure cannot come
too soon. If Washington were the only city
where the Reading coal does not find Its
way to the consumer in sufficient quantities
to keep the prices down it might be con-
tended that the Independents have sent the
bulk Of their coal here to make the most OF
q short market. But from other cities.
save perhaps Philadelphia. comes the same
story. In New York the other day the
Reading officials virtually acknowledged
that the Independents had secured control
of the market.
In normal times the Independents mine
only ten or at the outside perhaps fifteen
per cent Of the anthracite coal. Their pro-
duct Is not enough to affect the prices IN
any city, much less to dominate the fuel
situation in the entire eastern section OF
the country. What has happened that now
this ten or fifteen per cent of the hard coal
supply can force out Of the market the
eighty-five or ninety per cent of trust coal
which presumably Is held strictly to the
comparatively low rate OF the October
scale?
1t is now the duty Of the representatives
Of the Reading and other companies allied
with 1t to show what has become Of their
coal and at what prices it has been sold to
retailers and through them to consumers.
When these large corporations exacted the
October agreement from the dealers they
Virtually assumed responsibility to holi
those dealers to strict performance. Now
: is their opportunity to prove bad faith on
the part of the dealers, if it exists. or to
confess their inability to carry out their
own side of the bargain. More light, and
more coali