The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-04-01
COAL MEN |
WILL FIGHT
There Will III Be Opposition Y: to
the Edwards Bill.
HELP THE Pc PLE NONE.
Merchants Explain That lf$TheY Are
Forced TO Give a Long Ton the
Price viii be That
Much Higher

IA conferences OF the coal dealers will
Be hold at noon to-day at the office OF the
Richmond Ice Company for the consider
alton of certain matters chief among
which IL tho movement in the Legislature:
to regulate the weight Of coal sold by
merchants to the consumers.
N The proposition OF the Hon. T. H. Ed
wards, OF West Point, to Introduce In
the House Of Delegates q bill requiring
dealers to give the long ton OF p 4o
pounds, instead OF 2. 900 pounds has caused
quite d little ripple III the local market.
THE ma ority OF those who 4 expressed
themselves yesterday did not take the
matter seriously and thought a little
explanation would settle the question
They are all L prepared, however, to ap-
pose the enactment OF such law and
hence q con ference was sugg ested III
5.s AN OTHER EXCHANGE. !. s5t
while there will hardly DO anything OF
that sort to-day, t , Is whispered that
the Organization OF another coal and
wood exchange Is likely, SO far as could
DO asccrtained. the meeting to- day. will bet
for the Specific purpose Of conslderirA
the Edwaig,a Il matter; still tho other
thing is III the air. The old exchange
Sdisbandad under "a Their peculiar circu1 l
stances. 4 and since then there has been
no central organization. II is believed
that the coal dealers generally would
welcome REORGANIZATION.
Mr.. "a. ID. Landerkln, 4 president Of the
Richmond Ice Company, stated last
night that 1t was not entirely titled.
SO far az he knew to hold the con fer
enoe to-day, 4 Another coal dealer. how
ever, had received formal notification to
be at the conference at u o'clock to-
day. 1. I'll. z " *; n. 5
with reference 70 the Edwards matter
itself. Mr.. Landerkins expressed the
Soft coal ID now sold to the dealers by
the ton Of 1000 pounds, and they pay 9
certain amount for such q ton and ex-
pect to get a certain amount for 1t from
the consumer The railroads refuse to
sell II In any other way because the
2. 900 pound ton is easier to alculate than
the other. II they did chan &c, 81 however.
to the long ton, they would simply charge
that much more, and the price to the
consumer would be dYanced ocolr.ding.
sly.81t Ia a question OF price and not Of
quantity. Fl 81 sS "a IA 81
a$ JUST LIKE POUND RATES.
y Much the same opinion was expressed
by Mr. s. H. Cottrell II 81 8 Just MS II
coal would be sold by the ~ hundred
pounds. Twenty hundred pounds would
cost q certain amount; twenty-five hum
drey and forty pounds would cost more,
With anthracite coal, Il how II sis
different, The coal OPERATOR n sell ? 24o,
pounds to the ton and -the lnerc hants
Soil it In 2.O00-ton lots. The reason for
this Is plain. The cars always
run more or less short and there !s a
good deal OF waste. II the merchant sold
224o pounds OF anthracite to q ton he
would run several tons short on g car,
load from the mines. S33lf
One Of the members Of the FIRM Of p!
r.. Murphy & Son. spoke along the line
iof the others and declared that dealers
would have to lose money Il they sold
l,24o pounds OF anthracite BinEa ton It
was the opinion OF Mr.. Murphy that a
vigorous opposition will BIZ presented to-
the bill in the Legislature