The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-01-14
A CASE OF ROBBERY
ADVANCE IN COAL so CHAR
 ACTERIZED.
Senator Stewart Severe in His De- nunciation of the Methods of the Independent Dealers-1n-
 vestigation of Supply.

Washington, Jan. 13.-W. A. Baum or the J. Maury Dove Coal Company was the principal witness before the Senate coal famine investigating committee to- day. He said so long as the company had coal on hand from last year it had not charged to exceed SIPS per ton; also that the price for Reading coal never had exceeded that figure. but. on independ- ent companies coal 1t had been necessary to charge more. The company, he said, is selling coal that costs $1094 per ton at SIP. He said the delay in securing coal was due to the lack of railroad facilities in Washington.
 In reply to questions from Senator Stewart as to what forced the price of coal up, Mir. Baum said that the inde- pendent dealers had forced the advance.
 Tt was a stand and deliver process" suggested Senator Stewart, to which the witness responded that he himself con- sidered it case of robbery. MT. Baum declared there had been no collision be- tween the Washington dealers and the Independent coal operators.
 This testimony provoked a statement from Senator Stewart that he proposed to | summon some of the dealers before the ccmmittee,
 'The man who puts up prices of coal now with the result of causing the freeY- ing of women and children is a shark" he said. ,-.. Charlotte Smith, President of the As | sociation of Impecunious Worlxingwomen, said she never had been able to secure mere than half a ton of coal at a time for that hot ways able to get a bucketful or a bushel at time. Then they had to pay prices which made the coal cost $2O per ton.
 Senator Stewart today received another letter from " Baldwin Johnson. the local coal dealer. who has refused to answer questions put by the committee. MT, Johnson says. that he regards his fur ther appearance before the committee un- necessary and reiterates his view that he Is right in refusing to disclose any fur ther information that he thinks involves an invasion of his rights.
 During the day Senator Stewart re- eeived the following official letter from President Cassatt of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company:
 Tn reply to the inquiry contained in your favor of the - instant. I beg to say that the mines owned by this company furnish less than one-half of the anthra- cite coal which 1t transports. the remaind- CT being made up of coal purchased from private operators by the agents who sell the railroad companies coal. The con- tracts under which the agents purchase l this coal provide that the price at the mines shall be based upon the price the coal brings when sold.
 After mining operations were resumed | our agents proceeded to sell the coal from our mines as well as the coal purchased | from the private operators and tho circu- | lar price which were fixed at 50 cents per ton only above the prices prevailing be- | fore the strike. The individual operators, however, protested strongly against this | holding that the agents were bound to sell their coal at the best obtainable prices, and after consulting counsel 1t was con- cluded that their demands would have to be acceeded to. Heretofore there has been uo distinction that the public knew of be- tween the coal mined by the company and that mined by individuals. but now that the coal from the mines which this com pany controls Is being sold at the circular prices and the coal of the private opera tors who ship over our lines Is being sold at the best price that can be obtained. the distinction is drawn and this accounts for the apparent increase in the proportion of coal shipped by private operators.
 -lI 1A very easy tO dASCNAN AOl hHS shortage Tn the anthracite coal supply. The strike, lasting nearly six months, caused a falling off in the output of some 24, 100000 tons. The output during the winter months has never been sufficient to supply current demands. the deficiency being made up from stocks accumulated during the summer but this winter began with absolutely no stocks on hand either ar shipping places or in coal yards or in private cellars and while more coal has been mined and shipped since active op- erations were resumed than ever before during like period. 1t has not been suffi- cient to supply the demand, nor has 1t been possible to supply enough bitumin- ous coal to make up the deficiency in an thracite. A much larger amount of bit luminous coal was moved over all the rail- roads of the country during the past year than ever before. but the increased output of bituminous was nearly all absorbed by the regular demands caused by the indus tries using that fuel so that there was nut little left to supply the deficiency in anthracite.
 T regret to say that do not think the present conditions will improve much for several months to come. So far as this company is concerned no efforts will be spared to give preference to coal ship ments over all others"