The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-07-25
OPERATORS SIDE.
Reasons Given for High Price
Of Coal.
Claim That New Wage Scale Is
Partly Responsible.
CONSUMER WILL PAY IT
Advance at Mine Will Be %
Cents Ton.
Retailer Win Charge IONS
so Cents to 50 MOI.

There is no longer any doubt about the
high price of coal which Will prevail in
Topeka during the coming winter In an
interview a coal operator has made
statement relative to the causes which
combine to send coal quotations soaring
which is undoubtedly authoritative as
regards the coming winter. 1t also ex-
plains from the operators point of view.
the high prices of last season When a
coal famine occurs the coal dealers and
operators usually are equally active In
attributing the blame to each other.
This operator said:
There was a shortage last winter and
there will be a shortage this winter
That condition alone will be sufficient to
increase the prices. Miners, It is wen
known work less than one-half the
time. Their contracts usually call for
an eight-hour day. but only few 1--we
up to that provision. The cost of pro-
duction varies with the output. Under
the new scale the cost of production viii
be increased not less than 25 cents a ton,
but the consumer will have to pay from
so cents to 81 a ton more for his coal
as a result There may be slight in
crease in the freight tariffs. but all the
burden will not have to be borne by the
buyers of coal at retail"
The operators figure that the new
wage scale will compel them to add p
cents a ton fiat to the prices now de-
manded. and about cents a ton tc
cover the loss expected from the de-
crease in production. The increased
railroad rates will add a few cents
more to the retailers cost, and in order
to get even they will be compelled tt
increase their prices to the consumer
Many of them will store coal in loca
yards. This will add from Is to s.
cents a ton to their cost. There VIII
be slack as a result and it will have
TO be sold at probably One-fourth the
ndad coal in the l1lmD
When a delivery order is received the
coal will have to be screened, reloaded
and hauled. This means heavy ad
ditional expense. In order to make
8air profit the dealer must figure on re
ceiving not less than SIPS a ton NOR
for his coal than it costs him del1V
cred on board cars in this city. IL n
doesn't figure on that basis he is ap
to fail. To deliver ton of coal to
city consumer costs from 25 cents to I
cents, according to the distance of tn
dwelling from the coal yard"
These details are chiefly interesting a
they show how the coal man at tn
shaft figures the situation. Topeka PEG
pie will remember the various eXplana
tiOns of the retailers a year ago Whel
the cause of the trouble was laid at tn
door Of the miners and the railroads.
That the cost of coal production ha
advanced since year ago is undoubte
as 1t is admitted by all concerned III
coal retailers have prepared TOpek
coming winter, and the people will un
doubtedIy have to pay them. If tn
g consumer knew positively that all tn
advance in price was going into tn
pocket of the underpaid coal miner h
might feel better over the situation, bu
the certainty that considerable part c
the increased price is for the coal re
taller is disquieting. The hardest fea
ture of 1t all is that the highest proper
tionate price will have to be paid by tn
very poor who buy their fuel from da
60 day and pay cash for it. The smalle
the quantity the higher the cost. Thi
winter the suffering among the need
poor is to be gone through with again
The people at large will be taught ths
Il is Improbable to sympathize with tn
coal miner The public having demand
ed that the coal miner be better pal
the operator, the railroad and the re
taller will combine to make the publ
pay the cost of the betterment of tn
miner four times over.
There has been no alteration in til
freight rates from which Topeka SUI
fers so heavily in the cost of her Goa
While the Santa Fe furnishes Osag