Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-01-01
Des Moines Coal Dealers Dis
cover the Railroads Appro-
priating Their Coal
800 CAR LOADS coNFIscATED
John Gibson. President of Des Moines
Coal Operators Association, States
the Case and Denies That Operators
Intend to Raise Price of Coal to the
Local Trade.

| Des Moines, Jan. 1.-Des Mones coal
operators are about the angriest people
| to be found on the face of the earth
| dict corporation and put it in the
| penitentiary for grand larceny, and
when this is done every railroad com
pany operating a line into Des Moines
| will be incarcerated for term of years
| if the coal operators can have their
way.
| 1t was claimed yesterday that within
| the past week railroads centering here
have contiscated not less than 500 car
loads of coal that had been loaded at
the mines TO supply Des Moines city
trade and to fill orders from retail deal
ers over the state.
John Gibson, president of the Des
Moines Coal Operators Association,
said: Yes, the railroads have been
stealing our coal. That's what we call
it. They call it appropriating II. l
can't speak tor the other operators eX-
cent in a general way, but for the Glib
son Coal Company can be specific. All
of the coal we had loaded for two days
for eur city and shipping trade was
taken possession of by the Rock Island
road, and without our knowledge or
consent We did not get the cars spot
ted here in the city rs we had expected,
and upon investigation found that en-
CINE crews of this company went TO
our mine, hitched onto our loaded cars
and hauled them to Atlantic and Coun-
ell Bluffs, where they unloaded them
into the railroad bins from which en-
gines are coaled OF course, the rail-
road company intends to pay us for the
coal, but we don't like 1T a little bit,
when we are from week to two weeks
behind our orders here in the city and
know that our country customers who
were entitled to the coal are entirely
out of stock. 1 don't know what we can
do about it. l have written to the Rock
Island officials to let them know what
we think of it and that, suppose, is
about all we can do Why, we were in
shape with the coal we had loaded for
the last two days for Des Moines trade
to fill practically all our orders in the
next three or four days. but this action
of the railroad company has put US off
Tor Il week at the best"
Other coal operators admitted that
the railroad companies had been APP
propriating their coal and notifying
them of 1t after they had taken it away.
and local dealers depending upon rail-
road mines reported that they had
been treated good deal the same way
as has the Gibson.
Mr. Gibson, for the Des Moines Coal
Dealers Association, yesterday gave
out a statement as to the situation. He
said:
First of all, the operators want to
deny the report that they intend to adj
vance the price of coal to local trade.
The price will not be advanced. 1t is
SO ton, lump quality. and the price
will continue at SO. There will be no
advance either on lump or other grades,
no matter what the situation may de-
velop. and the operators will not accept
u higher price for 1t.
The situation just at this time is I'M
pleasant for US. We are week behind
on our orders, as are also a number of
situation is serious. We think that the
consumers are obeying our injunction
pretty thoroughly to order a week to
ten days ahead of the time they will
need coal. In large majority of cases
drivers for dealers who belong to our
association report that where they
have delivered coal from a week to ten
days after we have booked the orders
they have found coal in the bins. There
are. of course, a few cases where people |
are actually out of coal, and are buy-
ing wood. coke, ETC.. for fuel, but they
are comparatively few. In these cases
the people are to blame themselves. In /
spite OF our oft repeated injunction to |
order ahead, they persist in waiting un-
til they have touched the bottoms of |
their bins before ordering.
Another thing. Consumers will get
the best service by placing their orders
with their regular dealer. We are re-
fusing to book orders for others than |
our own customers, and other dealers /
are doing the same. I have turned down |
a couple of orders today from persons
knew We're customers of other deal
ers, and other dealers are doing the
same. Our association has adopted this
policy. In this way and with mild
weather we hope to be able to master
the situation within the next week, and
do not think any one will suffer in the
meantime. In cases of actual need we
viii see to 1t that relief is furnished.
but Will insist upon customers order
ing In advance, so we will know what
We are to have to contend with"
The coal dealers are all praying for
warm weather. They want two weeks
Of It, that they may be able to cone
with the situation and get into shape to
10 business in the regular way. But
here is supplement- to this prayer.
md that is that they be blessed with
I cold spell as soon as they catch up
With themselves.
SOCIETY SCORED BY DR.. TuRck