The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1903-01-16
COAL STILL
KEPT BACK
Greedy Operators Are Hold
ing Back Loaded Cars
Until Prices Are
Higher.
SUFFERING ALL AROUND
Railroads in This City Are
Trying to Relieve the
Congestion and to
Move the Fuel. &

1 DISASTROUS results have followed ihe
split between the independent coal mine
owners and the railroads, and untold sufs
fering exists to a great extent throughout
cities i'll the East, particularly in New
York. The independent owners are de-
termined to hold out all the coal they can
mine and realize the best prices obtainae
| Bile. For this reason very little coal is
being released by the independent opera
tors and what is going out is bringing
twice the regular price
Up to a week orf ten days ago the rail-
roads brought about 80 per cent. Of all
| the coal mined by the independents and
paid them 60 per cent. of the tidewater
prices, then So a ton.
The independents claimed that this was
not getting enough money for their coal
and broke the agreement with the r;jil4
roads on the ground that twice the money
could be received for their supplies than
the railroads We're paying them.
| Probably ninety per cent. of the thotis-
ands of tons of coal now being held at
Perth Amboy, Bayonne and Elizabeth
port, is owned by the independent people.
The railroads are forced to carry the coal
and hold it at any point the shippers
direct. Hence the stalling of the cars
at these points
1t was stated yesterday that the rail
road officials had notified the independ-
ent owners that they would have to re-
lease the cars held along the route. They
explained that the road was blocked By
50 many cars and that they needed the
cars now in use
GOAL ON THE TRACKS.
Despite the notification, the indepen-
dent people did not seem to worry much
NO effort was made to relieve the situa-
tion and only about 25,000 tons were
sent to New York, about -one-tenth of
what is being called for. The price. is
just as high as ever, and it is likely that
coal will be selling for SIC ton in New
York in a few days.
The Bayonne tracks of the Central
Railroad near Avenue A are crowded
with coal cars. There are a score of
tracks at this point all at least q quar-
tracks is empty and there seems to be
no desire on the part of the independent
people to release til coal.
Jersey City people are very fortunate
in the matter of obtaining coal supplies
There are somel-Df the smaller dealers
who cannot deliver orders under a
weeks time, but the larger firms have
no difficulty in supplying their custom
ers the day following the receipt of their
orders. Another big advantage is the
fact that coal can be bought here for
less than half the cost that New York
ers are forced to pay for it. People here
paid $3.50 a ton up to Monday and then
it took a slight jump to $675, the pres
ent rate.
The owner of large concern on the
Central line said that people of this
city did not realize how fortunate they
were in the matter of getting coal.
POOR NEW YORK PEOPLE.
think of the poor New York people,
said he, who cannot get coal because of
price. Those who have money can get
some coal, but think of the price they
pay. Not only can the people of this
city get all the coal they can use, but
the price is considered very reasonable
1t really surprises me that the price here
remains so low. None of the independent
coal is being sent to the local dealers
and that accounts for the present low
rate.
An idea-o how badly off New York
is can be gained by a sight of the long
lines of trucks that wind their way up
| Grand street to the yards of the Lehigh
Valley, Hudson and Jersey City Coal
Companies. These dealers are willing
to buy all the coal that is delivered at
these points to sell to New York people.
but the firms give the local dealers the
preference. Very little Of the coal supply
reach New York in comparison to what
is sold here
These small dealers are willing to pay
as high as $40 ton for the purpose Of
selling it over the river for twice that
sumthat is, dealing it out by the pail
and bag,
LACKAWANNA HUSTLING.
nAeffort was made today to rush some
| of the hundreds Of coal cars on the Lack
awanna Railroad at Secaucus to tide
water All information as to who owns
the eoal was refused BY the railroad
| ia Ecboken. Weep President Loons1s, Of
| the Lackawanna, has been kept busy
/ running between Secauells ard oIIboken
since early in tiles week. He claimed to