The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-22
Declaration Made that There Is
Enough Coal in indianapolis to
Prevent Suffering.
NO EVIDENCE OF COLLISION
RAILROADS HAVE NOT ENOUGH MO-
TIVE POWER TO HAUL COAL.
Senator Hendee Makes n Statement
for the Joint COmmittee-Further
Investigation To-Day.

About fifteen of the most prominent re-
tail coal dealers of Indianapolis testified be-
fore the joint legislative committee and
Governor Durbin yesterday afternoon. The
coal situation was reviewed at length and
very little new light was thrown on the
question before the conference. Among
other things, the retail dealers declared be-
fore the conference that there was no
cause for anxiety over the situation in In
dianapolis, as there was enough coal in
the various yards in the city and enough
coming in every day to prevent any suffer-
ing.
The evidence brought out yesterday
showed concusively that there was no
agreement expressed implied between
the various dealers in Indianapolis to fix
prices The dealers admitted there was a
Coal Exchange in this city and nearly all
the dealers are members of it, but the ex-
change did not fix arbitrary prices. it was
said. In explaining the present high prices
of fuel the dealers declared that 1t was
merely a question of supply and demand.
Dealers are obliged to pay more for coal
at the mines, but declared there was no
collision existing individually or as an as
ISOLATION with the operators railroads
to increase prices or hold them at high
figure.
The dealers were questioned closely about
not having laid in large supply of coal
last fall to prevent a shortage during the
winter months They declared they had
laid in as large supply as usual, but not
as much as they would have done could
they have realized what the present condi-
tions would be. The dealers claimed they
did not believe there was any suffering in
the city due to a shortage of fuel, as they
always have been able to supply some kind
of fuel to customers.
OPERATORS ARE RIGHT.
In every instance the dealers thought the
operators were doing everything to get coal
out and in every instance but one. they
declared. the railroads were doing every
There was some criticism of the roads not
getting the coal from the yards near the
mines as soon as it was loaded and also of
not distributing it when the cars arrived in
Indianapolis. Some of the dealers said
there have been delays in some instances
of several days before they received the
coal at their yards after it arrived in In
dianapolis.
The dealers gave the same general reasons
for the scarcity of coal as given by the
transportation companies and the oper-
ators. They called the committees atten-
ton to the shortage of about 20.oO0.ooO tons
of anthracite coal, the sudden failure of
gas, which brought new customers in the
field and the inability of the railroads by
reason of lack of motive power TO move
coal. Regarding the statements made in
some of the newspapers that there was an
agreement between the dealers and oper-
ators the men before the committee de-
clared they knew nothing of any agree
ment except what they had seen in the
newspapers.
There was no hesitancy on the part of
the dealers in declaring that domestic con-
sumers were careless about laying in their
winters supply of coal during the summer
and early fall. They said such consumers
generally waited until cold weather set in
Before they ordered their fuel and they
would become alarmed and every person
| would want immediate delivery, which
would make 1t difficult for their orders to
be filled in a reasonable length of time.
1t will take more than a year for the
! coal situation to assume a normal condi-
| ton, declared the dealers. The enormous
shortage due to the strike in the anthracite
district and the wonderful increased de-
mand for fuel from all parts of the country
will cause the operators to mine coal as
rapidly possible. but it is asserted it
will take some time for the situation to be-
| come normal.
SENATOR HENDEE'S STATEMENT
Senator Hendee last night said that up
! to the present time there has been no evil
dence brought out before the committee
that would warrant legislation against the
railroads, operators dealers. He said
| the shortage was due to the causes that
have been given and not to any collision
between the dealers and operators. He
said it was plainly evident that the con-
| sumers will have to lay in their next win
/ ter's supply of coal during the summer
| months If they desire to avoid any pos
| sible repetition next winter of the shortage
that has been experienced this winter. He
| says the high prices due to the supply
| and demand an incident of the investiga-
ton of the operators and dealers. Indian
| apols dealers visited the mines and there
| found other dealers from Chicago, Toledo
| and other cities bidding for the output OF
| the mines. indianapolis dealers had to
| compete with the outside dealers il they
| desired to get the coal. Spectators also
| appeared at the mines. and when the coal
| was loaded cars ready for shipment il
was not an uncommon sight to see a spec
ulator offer an increased price for the coal
| But the operators refused to deal with the
spectators, declaring that they would ship
the coal to their regular customers.
The investigation will be carried on again
| to-day. The committee will be able &c
make a report to the General Assembly by
| the first of the week.