The sun., 1903-01-06
GET WHAT YOU CAN FOR COAL
u0vTO or THOSE WHO UNDER
VINED CONTRACT.
independent Operators Gan Get More by
Selling TO Jobbcrs Than 10 Coal Garry.
ing Roads. which Have Kept Price
Down-i.ook Out for High Prices.


Tho release last v eek Of the independent
anthracite operators by the coal-oarrying
s,n,ranies. from the contract by which
me companies besides carrying their coal,
.old the largest part Of it, caused sensa-
,op among the dealers and general sales
agents Y, s'erday. The contract provided
,hst the companies take the independents
coal on the basis of 65 per cent. Of tidewater
Iricc
Pesides the coal which the independent
cterator, sold direct at from 81 to ton
higher than the circular price charged
bv the operators the abrogation OF the
,o,,ract will affect s,OOO,0OO more tons a
year q the independent coal.
This coal. which was formerly sold by
he comuanias' sales agents at the circular
rricc Of q a ton for domestic coal. will now
70 sold for what il will bring, which tho
i,ierendert operators say will be its market
,alpe IN accordance with the laws OF supply
aud d" and.
A representative OF the Delaware, LAcka-
wanna and Western Railroad made this
atcrnent Yesterday:
i urderstand that the Lshigh Valley
ias entered into an agreement with the
,ncepenlcnt Operators to suspend the 0S
,er cent basis at tidewater until March
Il, All the other roads, understand,
ave entered into similar agreements with
,he einderendents. but not for the same period
% time. In the case OF the Lackawanna,
ue agreement can be cancelled al the
roads option
The whole thing results from the fact
that coal jobbers or middlemen in this city
approached the independents with offers
of better prices for their output. As
result Of this much Of the coal hitherto
brought in by the coal roads and sold by
hem will now lie consigned to the jobbers
by the independent operators, the coal
roads merely carrying the product az COM
mon carriers instead of carrying II as their
own coal. as heretofore
The independent firms of coal operators
mine 1892 600 tons annually. Of this,
2,s?7 900 tons we're sold direct by the indi-
vidual operators, 3,277,ooo by their agents
or indirect rprese natives and s.sis,O0O
tons 10y the railroads., in accordance with
the agreement which has been abrogated.
The agrecu.cnt provided that the coal be
the indcp,nucnt operators held that IS,
the rate adopted by the companies. was
a,lout ouc-hal q. he market value jude e.ng
from the prices they received for their coal
when they put ia on the market
In at her words, he corporations wanted
10 fix the coal prices at moderate rate,
inCrpeuGent Of the market value, while the
l.ln Duai operators wanted TO make more
.nnnev than this permitted. kOth sides
O. lfs act ~ ~
ngiu hues and the companies agreed to
~ abrogition.
I ac hI,t effect Of this was a notificat ion
by one Of the largest firms Of independent
oVrrators 10 its sale, agents that the price
q; Goa! will be advanced. Another large
firm has also deci led TO advance the price
:. : once. OF the 5000 900 tons which will
ie rclea sed annually 500 900 are domestic
.nt hrauite, and AZ New York is the largest
market for anthracite the largest share
81 IL come here.
lhe companies which have agreed to
rca the independent operators from the
'uhtract are the Lehigh Valley. Jersey
ertral, Philadelphia and Reading, New
York Ontario and Western. the Erie, and
psIawcre. lAckawaI ma and Western.
Represent atives OF the companies who
~ ro seen admitted that II was true that the
lease had been effected, but denied that
they had any intention Of raising the COM
~ y coal above the circular price.
The president Of one Of the largest coal.
,arrying companies said yesterday after
!. IN TO SUN reporter:
The companies have been subjected to
= kinds Of charges OF squeezing the public
which are unfounded. The public will now
.,e who are sque3ing it. 1t In not the
conn anies. The circular price OF IS a ton
will lie maintained, and because we insisted
on charging no more, when, according to
the aws Of supply and demand We could
have hsrged &io. the Independent opera
t-rs threatened to sut us if,e cor.tir. cd TO
do so. The contract was thtn aorogated
I'D tn. '.deTehCel.t niel viii ss!i II tor
what il will bring. J may here remark that
While il has been the fashion 10 abuse the
cnrnralies they never get any credit fer
kcepinR down prices"
yice-President Besler Of the Central
Railroad Of New Jersey said:
This furnishes a striking argument
against those who say that trusts and corr
porations raise prices. Hero the cor
porations keep down the prices, while
the individuals are squeezing the people
for all they are worth. What hue and cry
would be raised IL the companies did the
same thing"
As common carriers the coal-carrying
railroads must carry the coal OF the inde-
pendent operators. Some OF the latter
will attend the weekly meeting Of the
Presidents Of the coal-carrying companies
this aftorpoop