Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-01-27

IlOpOSlllOl. III SttIt lltll lfic IlSsitiilie,
Coal Co. has such plan of loading a
barge with half anthracite, half bitu-
minous. 1t Was the custom among
Boston dealers to have contracts for
bitulninous goal. but not for anthra-
mi s Il a 4 N sl.| Nae &
osition for halt and half cargoes. but. AIR.
i1arnlin would only give the names OF tie
coal, road comp in New York ard
their, selling agents. In reply to a noes
ton by Congressman Davis. Mr.. Hamln
said his company was getting about
double of both anthracite and bituminous
compared with a year ago. He said that
some of the cargoes cost more than the
others, but he couM not tell who was
making the profit.
Close questioning by thes committee
drew from Mr.. iiamlin an admission that
The companies might be recupcrating
themselves for the losses during the strike
BY insisting on abnormal profits but he
had no positive information. In reference
10 the. plan of Congressman Mccall 20
allow foreign vessels to engage in coast
wise. trade, witness said he did not think
the boats would have an opportunity to
load.
Mortimer Williams. the New England
selling agent for Samuel Heiler & Son OF
New York, p1iddlemeD, admitted that he
made = proposition to Rockland and Port
land. Me-, dealers in reference to half and
ndiJ fdTSOtS LOT IL commission OF I'VE IL,
cent. the cost to lie. as near as he could
remember, to $3.50 for the Reading and SiJ
for the bitiiminoHs. He admitted that he
offered bituminous about the same time
alone at about 81 a ton. He thought he
he'd sold about 5000 tons OF coal during
the season, bat WAS not at all sure about
the price.
The committee spent much time in try
ing TO get a definite answer on the qlles-
ton of price, but could not accomplish
much
+. c. Backus, 4 newspaper man, told of
an investigation which he made in Ney-
York in December. and that With the ex~
-eoptions of one company, all the coal car
rsfpg representatives would give him
nothing for publication He said the re-
suit of his Investigations showed that the
companies We're handling more coal Than
ever before. and 40 per cent. was indepcn-
dent operators, coal. Ire thought the
companies appeared to be doing all they
could to relieve the situation.
The evening session WAS devoted to the
questions of transportation and shipping
rates VIM. III. Randall secretary of the
}: ). Emery q Co. shippers: Captain j.
G. Crowley OF Camden, agent OF u tieet
of sailing vessels: James +. Bliss OF Bliss
~ Co., ship chambers, and Richard e.
Freeman. ship broker, We're heard. Mr.
randall explained the recent increase in
shipping rates as due to the fact that
while there was apparently surplus OF
tonnage only the smaller craft We're avail
able for the anthracite trade where the
tziI COtS NtIc unnecessarily Siftsiil ana often
consigned to shallow harbors. He quoted
the rates for bitumnous for the past live
winters, giving averages as follows: '9s-
80, average fIem 81 to $3.50; 'a9-' co. ayera SC
from $50 to $50; 'o0-'01, average from
s 30 to ISL; 'c1-e2 average 81 -, to s.; u
'o5. average from rs to 81
During the winter of SO ana 90 mon
erS strike affected the trade These rates
We're aVera ges from coal ports to Boston
and Maine ports. For the last u DAYS
he said it had been Difficult; to charter Il
boat as high as $22.25 and he understood
that one boat had been chartered for 81
Tie did not believe foreign boats at all
adopted to coast trade in anthracite.
Mr. Crowley told of long delays in load
ing and said the season had been the
most disastrous in his experience for ship
owners, upon whom the losses in delays
chiefly fell. The Thomas W. Lawson lay
Ut Philadelphia from Sept. Ii to Oct. -
before she could get a cargo, and in on.
instance dcniurraSc hstd amounted to
s2S00. There had been no Discrimination
against sailing vessels and it was simply
a case of waiting ones turn. Mr.. Bliss
thought there was sufficient tonnage and
had been all along. He. understood that
Jealousy between the railroads was re-
3ponsible fer some of the delay at Balti-
more. and the members of the committee
said they would make inquiries on that
point.
. Mr. Freeman. whose testimony closed