Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-16
INDEPENDENTS HEARD
RESUMPTION OF THE LOCAL COAL
INQUIRY.
Product Brought by the B. and O. Road
in November and December-Con-
tract Executed at Loss.

The coal investigation by the subcom-
mittee of the Senate District committee
was resumed today at o'clock. 1t was
expected that four or five representatives
OF the independent coal operators would be
present, but only two appeared, and their
testimony was very brief.
Senator Stewart presided, and Senator
Foster of Washington was present.
Mr.. w. Beaumont of Whitney and KEN
merer of Philadelphia said that no one of
the colleries of the company he represented
Is able to produce as much coal now as
before the strike.
He thought the Reading company was
able to produce about as much as before
the strike. 1t sold coal now at IS ton at
the mines. He remarked that his company
might increase its output if the men re-
sponded to Mr.. Mitchell's appeal to use
every effort to do so.
Mr.. Charles D. Norton, who said he was
a middleman, handling the coal of the
Thomas Coal Company of Shenandoah City,
Pa, testified that he sold a small amount
of coal to ]. Maury Dove, V. Baldwin john
son and the Allegheny Coal Company, ana
had never sold any to Mr.. Zen.
He said the largest colliery of the Thomas
Company is now under water, and 1t Woriu
take about three weeks to pump the water
out. He testified that they had SOLD an
mines.
Senator Stewart: you have not sold an
thracite higher than Sc a ton?"
Mr. Norton think we have not sold
to Mr. Johnson as high as Sc. But, as
said, we have sold in very small amounts
Coal Brought by the B. and o.
Mr. Legge, agent of the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad Company, showed the guam
titles of coal shipped to this city over that
line. His statement follows:
Anthracite December, 1902, 81, 772 tons;
December, 1901, 1874 tons: soft coal, De-
cember. 1902, 10,90S: December, 1901, 1857;
anthra cite. November, 1902, 1924 tons; No
vember. 1901, 23,5O1 tons: soft coal, No
vember, 1902, 5,343 tons; November, 1901,
5,90S tons.
Mr. Legge explained they did not be-
gin shipping coal until about the 10th or
18th of November. which accounted for the
smaller amount shipped in that month.
Willing to Exhibit Books.
Mr. Smith of ]. Maury Dove & Company
was recalled. Mr.. Smith said that he was
very willing to have the committee examine
the books of his firm in order to see the
prices at which they had sold and purchased
coal.
Senator Stewart asked Mr.. Smith If he
would be willing to do this in line with the
purpose of the committee to, as far as
possible see whether local coal dealers
at the price of $7.25 per ton.
The witness said that they had not sold
any wholesale coal to dealers this year,
they had not sufficient supply.
He was questioned in order to ascertain
why soft coal is selling in Baltimore at
$3.50 a ton and in this city at 80 ton.
He could not tell why this was the case.
He said that the soft coal his firm is de-
Hvering comes from the Davis Coal and
Coke Company, which is delivering large
supplies to Baltimore. and that it is sold
only on contracts made prior to the strike.
He could get no soft coal for new contracts
Such soft coal as they had purchased from
other parties was at a higher price and was
purchased solicitation of consumers
They had paid s. a ton for soft coal at the
mines, making the price $3.50 here.
Sold Coal at Loss.
They had sold that coal to the Congress
sional Library at 81 ton. and he said as
they could not handle coal for less than a
dollar ton for expenses they had lost
money on that deal.
He said the coal business could not be
carried on unless there was a margin of
81 so ton.
Mr. Smith said that the District Commits
sioners had asked the j. Maury Dove Com
pany for prices for coal several times, but
as they could not get the coal they were
forced to decline to quote prices.
Sold at 40 Cents Advance.
sells to coal dealers, said that he agreed to
sell Reading coal to dealers at an advance
Of 40 cents a ton over the schedule prices
Of the Reading Company. In the months
OF November and December he had sold
$500 tons to local dealers at S.. 90 and So Is
q ton.
Senator Stewart asked him to give the
names Of dealers to whom he had sold.
He furnished list of about seventy local
dealers to whom he had given coal Of his
$500 tons
II am glad to get this list" said Senator
Stewart. I'VE will now call on these deal
ers and ask them what they got for the
coal that you sold them
Mr.. Barker added that he had received
forty-fve cars of coal thus far In January,
which he was selling at the same rate 40
cents a ton above the Readings schedule
prices.
A Baltimore Dealers Experience.
Mr.. Charles Hall of Baltimore testified as
to the difficulty of getting coal.
His firm bought anthracite In Pennsylva-
MIA for which it was paying now from s. to
~ ton. Some anthracite had been pur-
chased recently as low as $725 a ton. He
declined to give the name of the mine from
which he obtained coal, saying that 1t
might interfere with his getting any more
Death Of an Aged Colored Woman.
PARIS. Tex. January 16.-Zilpha Dock
cry, a colored woman, said to have been the
Oldest person in Texas, is dead at Hatton.
VILE aged 1O6 years.
New Line of the Santa Fe.
TOPEKA, Kan, January 16.-General Su-
pertntendent Cain of the western division of
the Santa Fe denies the report that the
road Is to build an extension from Dodge
City to Trinidad.
Chicago Coal Investigation.
CHICAGO, January 16.-The grand jury
investigation into the cause Of the fuel
shortage proceeded today NOT withsta ndinr