New-York tribune., 1903-01-17
COAL INVESTIGATIONS.
Committee to Viat Bosfon-IeSf'-
mona Taken IN Washington.
Try TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBuNE.J


Washington Ian 16-Boston is have the
benefit of the first investigation by the committee
Merchant Marine and Fisheries OF the HOUSE oi
REPRESENTATIVES the subject OF coal transports
ton. Representative Grosvenor will head sun
committee of five and go to Boston IN the heh'
future to endeavor to ascertain whether the hue-
pendent operators are charging one price ior oodi
there and then demanding higher price iur'hei
north for coal sent through Boston. Inc coast
shipping capacity will also be made the supJeSt VI
careful scrutiny for the purpose of ascertaining
whether or not it will be necessary 10 suspend inc
navigation laws for short period IN oruei 'i' .
foreign ships may engage in the transportation "
Nova Scotia coal TO the New England cities AS
soon as the facts have been settled by the COM
mittee attention will given TO the Pennsylvania
situation far the transportation OF coai 10
concerned This programme was adopted to-oay d'
a meeting of the committee General GrosVeho'
has not yet selected his four companions In ilie
absence of the subcommittee. the full committee
will carry on some sort of investigation on the
subject of coal transportation. but the eAa1' iio
to be followed have not yet been decided on
A number of wholesale dealers who DO business
in Philadelphia and Baltimore and sell the coo'
of indepepdent operators testified to-day before tue
Senate committee the District OF Coiuhoia Al ~
connection with the committees invesugatoh NJ
the scarcity of coal in this city Two OIL lhe" u"
clned to answer questions, but Senator ste"ai' l.,
who presides over the hearings. told them ne hdu
no intention of reporting them to the senate
A. Beaumont Whitney of Whitney & kemnerel'
of Philadelphia said that his firm is now paSine
s. a ton for anthracite at the mines, minus ~
per cent commission, whereas before the s'i'H
the price was s3 80 He said did not blame any
one for getting the best price he could IL was iiii
possible get all the coal desired even at '"o
advanced price. He said that insteao III iheL
ing the coal supply is diminishing, H. ne aoueu'
..+bA miners would do as Mr. Mitchell says. the
supply would be increased but none of the pro-
ducers. except the Reading Company are pro-
ducing as much coal formerly
Charles D Norton of Philadelphia, said thaI
within the last two weeks he had paid as hsh as
ss 5o q. tor for anthracite at the mines which
would make the price laid down In Washns' 'oii
$40 80. He said he picking up coal WhereVe. ne
could get It, and that he was securing very 'li'e"
quantities.
When Charles L. Hall. of Baltimore. was asked
to name the mine owners from whom he makes
his purchases he declined to give the information
cit is he said. my private business ana "ouIo
rather not answer. I have been in the mining re-
gjon more or less. My Information has cost me
considerable money, and do not want TO give my
rivals the benefit of it, Senator Stewart trfed 10
persuade Mr. Hall to change his mind, but. fan-
ing OF success. said he would not pursue the mat
ter further. Mr.. Hall said he had sold cohsloer-
able coal delivered in Washington at from - % 10
SO a ton and had always given his customers the
benefit of reduced prices secured by himself. MT MT
Hall expressed tne opnl0n fhe a Tai,roads most Of
which are short Of motive ytor. power; declined n
state the price at which supplies bituminous coal
to w ]. Zeh, a local dealer, in connecIlon WITH
his contract to furnish the Treasury Build
ing and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing He s
said however that he had not been able TO furnlsh
a slfficert quantity to fill the contract, ana ex-
planned that he had made reservation In ms con
tract with Zeh which the latter had failed 10 make
in his contract with the Government zehs con- con-
tract was to deliver the coal at s. 10 ton ana
Mr. Read said the best he could do was TO STATE
that he had agreed to sell to Zeh at the mines at
less than 81 40 ton, with 81 60 for freight ADDED Hs
reason for not wanting to answer was that ne dld
not want to reveal his margin to competitors sen
ator Stewart told the witness that the question per
tanned 10 Government business and not TO ms Pr Pr
yate affairs but he still declined whereupon the
Senator exclaimed, You fellows are too cunning
for the people, and you are all getting rlcn' MT
Read denied that this true in his case;
William Z. Barker independent dealer VINO
sells to Washington small dealers, said ne was GET
ting coal promptly from the Reading Company a1lo
was supplying his customers at an advance OF ~
cents a ton the Reading circular rates. Cle
prices thus ranging from s. 80 to S. 10.