The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-11-30
THEY ARE SATISFIED
THE COAL SITUATION IN BIR-
 lGINGHAM DESCRIBED.
There Has Been no Advance There Be- cause Local Dealers stocked Their Yards in Sumner
 Month.

The coal situation in Birmingham as compared with that of Montgomery is thus stated by The Birmingham Age Herald of yesterday:
 While Montgomery coal dealers and remonstrating citizens at the capital have taken to the newspaper Held to thrash out the question of hfgh-priced coal, the people of Birmingham are en- toying good warm fires at the same prices which have prevailed fer several years past
 The domestic coal companies are practically without coal to sell. and tho prices prevailing in Birmingham are largely due, according to experts to the wisdom of the local retail dealers in stocking their yards during last sum- mer and buying for October. November and December deliveries. This fore sight on the part of the retailers has put many of the companies to their best efforts to i'll the orders given in advance and consequently 1t Is very difiicult to buy coal at wholesale for immediate delivery.
 All the various classes of Cahaba, which is considered the highest grade of all domestic coals. are now selling at retail in Birmingham for $3.75 ton. This Is the same price that prevailed last year, and prominent dealers say the1A Is not much Likelihood of the price going higher. On a squeeze of the market, however. fhe price might go as high as $4.
 The Carbon Hill coal, which is shade lower in quality than Cahaba, Is selling at retail for $3.25, and Ivy Leaf is selling for g. MT. Allen of the Ivy Leaf Company says he is able to deliver coal at that price on account of his having stocked the yard completely during the summer.
 ~ Outside dealers have been in Birm- inKham during the past few weeks en- deavoring to buy coal in wholesale lots, but have found 1t very difiicult. days an order has been placed for Ca- haba f. o. b. at the mines at $3 ton. According to a. Montgomery paper MT. Anderson of that city offered as much as $S25 for Cahaba, but could not place his order.
 During last summer many yards were stocked with Cahaba at $250 a ton, and the various producers of that grade are now filling orders at that price which were placed several months ago.
 Before the domestic coal season open- ed in earnest Ivy Leaf and Carbon Hill COulQ DC DOukht TUT tt.OV anu $1sfO at the mines. Companies producing those grades of coal could now get $2 and $225 if they had any to sell, but future orders have taken up the productive capacity.
 According to e local coal dealer Bir- mingham is now getting retail do- nestle coal cheaper than any city in the United States. The people of Montgomery. 100 miles away. are pay ing $6, and in some instances $6.50 for Cahaba coal and A and s4.50 for other grades. The cheapest grade of coal that can be bought in Montgomery is g.
 The high prices prevailing in Mont- gomery Is said to be due largely to the fact that retail dealers there failed to now forced to pay high prices for coal at the mines.
 At the present wholesale price Ca- haba could not be sold in Birmingham for $3.75. It cannot be bought at the mines for less than 8 under any cir cumstances. The freight rate added to this, which is 30 cents, would make the coal delivered on cars at Birmingham $3.30. Allowing for the slack and for delivery 1t would be impossible. accord ing to experienced dealers. for 1t to be sold for less than $4.25.
 There has been no advance in the price of coal in Birmingham, and deal- CTS say they do not expect any advance more than unexpected circumstances would require. One coal man said "Peo- pie may say that Birmingham is an ex- pensive town in which to live, but nobody can say that we do not enjoy the benefits of the cheapest coal in the country"