New-York tribune., 1903-01-07
BAER ON INDEPENDENTS BOLT.
Suspension Tentative, and Lasts Only to
March 31-Prices Of Coal.

President Baer Of the Philadelphia and Read
sng Railroad spent some tine in this city yes
-erday and had a talk with one or two of the
tndependent operators in the office Of the Cen
i1ral Railroad Of New-Jersey. No. 143 Liberty
St Before he left town he talked on the sub
5ect Of the release Of the independent operators
from the contract under which the company
bougft between S0000o0 and 100000 tons of
sndependent coal yearly the basis of 90 per
cent OF the tidewater price This constitutes
the largest proportion of independent coal The
rest is merely carried by the coal carrying COM
panies and sold by the independent operators
themselves who have been charging from IS to
$40 ton at tidewater for it Mr.. Baer made a
statement. in which he said:
The abrogation or suspension Of the contract
isIonly tentative and lasts until March 81 By
that time the individual operators will be glad
70 come hack TO the sheltering srIns of the coal
carving companies. and viii likely be glad to
get back before that time 1t is not true that
there was anything illegal in the contract 1t
was perfectly sound. among other things. for the
settlement of disputes by arbitration
Every month now brings nearer TO the end
of the winter and lessons the anxiety Of people
about coal and this. Of course will affect prices
a little. and keep them from getting too high.
AS for our own coal. we taking every pre-
caution TO see that the public gets It at fair
price The independent coal we have no con-
srol over
Pardee 6, Co. independent operators in the
lsehigh Valley, have agreed with the Lehigh
VALLEY Company. which carries their coal, TO
Bet the contract so on. and buy back their an
1trzcfte at the tidewater price of So ton
The retail price OF coal is scheduled for big
advance, and how high il VIII go is yet open
question. Freezing weather would help bull the
market now practically governed by the law Of
supply and demand. instead Of being held down,
rs before by the uniform price set by the coal
roads.
The market price TO the consumer viii oe
largely governed by the proportion the coal of
she big companies bears to that sent here by
she independent operators. New-York, it is gen
eraIly agreed is the best market in which to
dispose of anthracite quickly and at a high
s,-ice and should receive more than its share
pf the ore-fourth Of the total production of an
thracite. the estimated amount controlled by the
boiling independents. Though prices are higher
and coal is scarcer in New-England than here
aealers assert that the extra time and trouble
ns delivering coal there Will keep the large pro-
nortion of the independent coal in New-Hork
City.
lust how much coal is involved in this hreal
IRON the coal roads schedule is uncertain
Many coIlieries and mines owned by private
.ndtv1duals have been regarded as belonging u
sbe big companies. because the coal mined ha'
teen handled and SOLD ey lnern AHese nov
enter the market TO force up the price Unit
dealers are sure that, reported in yesterday
t-ribure the coal roads DO not intend TO dellVe
rlew-York over into the hands Of the boltns
sndependents there can be no fixed price set fo
she consumer
Tndependent anthracite sold at $40 a ton a
.sdewater yesterday. in warm weather Lower
sen,nerstrre predicted would test how high thi:
,,ioe is likely TO under pressure OF in
,eosA 5ernand Already speculation is rife as L
she high water mark for retail coal prices fhi
-a-s1-e- and so a is named by many
The argument of the independent operators
rs o11oted in Yesterdays Tribune, that under tn
- 60 reerT1ent anthracite was not evenly dis
srihr1red received some confirmation from
e+a.en1ert printed in an evening paper tina
soToe retail dealers had more coal than the.
rould handle.
The general opinion Of the local dealers wa
voiced yesterday by representative of one o
she largest firms in the city, VINO SAID 10
Tribune reporter
.aronditions are bad. i am certainly sorry
.or I had begun TO catch up with the denanS
- v-as only few days behind IN my deliver
tss locked 70 see record year IN coal produc
.Ion with the situation fairly well in hand In
-,,o7rhs or SO But now everything is at sea a
e s,~jces though the supply should he fsiTl.
Tz,uod exreuf ia case of 3 storm
There can be no question about the effort