Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-03
DROP IN PRICE OF FUEL
Local Dealers Claim to Have
Goal to Burn"
PREVAILING FIGURES
QUOTATIONS TODAY RANGE FROM
81 to So A TON.
Some Operators Claim to Be Selling
Independent Product at .
Big Sacrifice.
PREVAILING FIGURES

The long-anticipated drop in the price Of
fuel has finally become reality in Wash
ington, and to use the exact words Of one
local dealer, the bottom has been knocked
entirely out Of the coal market and we
now have coal to burn" Washington resi-
dents have waited long time for this an
nouncement The high prices which they
have been Obliged to pay for their fuel
have caused many a wrench Of the feel
ings of the householders But from present
indications the cause Of anxiety to a ma
5erity OF citizens has been removed and
there will doubtless be fewer cold rooms
and more comfort in the future.
From inquiry among fourteen representa-
tive dealers in various parts Of the city
a reporter for The Star learned today that
the price Of hard coal ranges from 81 to
$3.50 a ton. Only one dealer Of that num-
Der quoted more than that price for an
thracite, his figures being So ton The
general sentiment among the dealers seems
to be that this reduction in the price of
coal Is permanent and no further increase
Is expected, at least during this season. 1t
is likely that the price will fall even lower
than at present.
Difference Of Opinion.
The cause Of the decrease in the price
Of fuel is variously stated. However, the
warm weather, which has permitted the
dealers to secure a surplus supply Of coal,
seems to be the principal reason for the re-
duction in price. The railroads have been
steadily increasing in the amounts of ship
ments to the city, the residents have econ
omiZed in the use OF fuel, and the mild
weather has obviated the need Of using
more than a minimum amount Of fuel.
1t Is stated that the drop in prices has
caught a number of dealers with more
gh-priced coal on their hands than they
actually need. Several dealers stocked up
on the Independent product when 1t was
selling at an unusually high figure, it is
stated, and they still have this coal in their
bins. One dealer, when asked as to the
cause for the reduction in price Of anthra-
cite, said he had lowered his price in order
to meet competition. He stated that the
coal he is selling today for $7.50 a ton cost
him SO a ton on the tracks here.
One dealer attributed the drop In the price
Of coal to the increased transportation IA
cilities Of the last ten days. A great deal
Of coal has been shipped to Washington
during that time, he said, and the market
has been overstocked.
The Independent Coal.
Independent coal on the tracks here is
now selling for several dollars less than it
was five or six days ago, according to
number OF local dealers. In fact, the indie
pendent operators lately have been glad to
get rid Of their fuel at almost any figure. 1t
was stated by one dealer that the independ-
ent coal is now being shipped to the New
England states and the high-priced shippers
have ceased to send their product to Wash
ington.
All the dealers report a falling off In the
demand Of customers for fuel, and 1t Is
thought that no one. excepting possibly the
very poor people Of the city, is suffering
for the lack of It, It is stated that there
Is no limit now to the amount of the orders
by the dealers, but the customers have be-
come so used to buying in small quantities
that they do not ask for more than a ton
or two tons at time. The people have ap
parently learned in the past few months
several lessons in economy, 1t Is stated.
They have discovered just how little fuel
they can get along with, and the lessons
learned by force of necessity will no doubt
prove beneficial.
The large coal-carrying barges W. E.
Barker and Ann E. Jennings were brought
into port this morning in tow Of the tug
M. Mitchell Davis Of this city, laden with
hard coal from Philadelphia The Barker,
which has aboard 535 tons, was berthed
at the wharf Of Stephenson & Bro. to I'M
load cargo, and the Jennings has been
locked at VIM A. Shoots wharf at Alex
andria. She has 81 tons aboard. This Is
the second tow Of coal-laden barges to ar
rive here in the past six or seven days.
The barge Holbrick is lying at the coal
chutes at Philadelphia loading for this
city.