The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-03-31
COAL STRIKER HURTS
SMALL CONSUMERS
BIG CONCERNS SMELL TROUBLE
AND STOCK UP.
Business and Flat Buildings Burn
shavings, Mills Run on Water, and
Other Consumers Must Do the Best
They Can-Price Is Not Reduced on
Anthracite. ..s X.

The soft coal situation in Mime
apolis today can be summed up in a
few sentences. Stocks in the coal
companies yards are not large. 1t IS
divided up between smokeless, lump
and egg, with some steam coal. Large
consumers and the railroads have fair
supply on hand. The burden Of the
shortage will fall on the small manufac-
tuners, who do not buy largely and who
have only small amoutn OF storage
space. The question today is not one
Of price with the consumer, but
whether he can get the coal.
time, because it is the season when flats
stop consumption Of fuel, when the
manufacturers are beginning to burn
shavings, and when there is such high
stage Of water that the flour mills have
small use for their auxiliary steam
plants. This is fortunate for the Hour
millers, because none Of them has much
storage capacity for fuel.
Stocks at Duluth.
At the Duluth and Superior docks the
to the best accounts. What fuel is in
stock belongs largely to the railroads
on uncompleted contracts, and the rail
roads have men watching the, coal.
Bituminous coal that is already in bot
toms for carriage up the lakes when
the season opens is designed principal
ly for the railroads, if reports are true.
Another condition that militatess
against the Minneapolis p1rospect OF
getting new coal from the docks is the
enormous consumption Of steam coal on
the range in open pit mining and strip
ping. The ore companies must have
the coal and do not hesitate at any
The Minneapolis Gas Light company
is reported to have q good, supply OF
coal on hand, SO that a scarcity Of light
and fuel gas is not in sight. The street
railway company is also said to be well
auxiliary steam plants, so that no trans
portation delays are likely to intervene.
What non-contract fuel is coming into
the city is struggling in on wheels.
Street Railway Stores Fuel.
St. Louis Park, just outside the linn
it's Of the city, presents much the ap-
pearance of a coal-mining town. In
anticipation of the strike, the street
railway company has Is 900 tons Of coal
piled up in reserve. In addition, 200
cars. making, 5000 tons more, are on
the way, and if they escape confsca-
ton by the eastern railroads, will be
added to the st. Louis Park supply of
the company.
Other heavy coal consumers in Min
neapolis hav ebeenz doing the same. The
Minneapolis & St. Louis road has thous-
ands Of tons of coal piled up at .Bryn
Mawr. Other roads have large central
supplies or have been quietly distribute
ing future supplies along their systems
l. Strike or no. strik 6, sthe= coal men are
not afraid of an absolute scarcity of
soft Goa, however as stths saA est Virginia
mines are: non-union and vii continue
to run, and some of the west Pennsyl-
vania mines will con tinue to operate,
where the: wage scale has been signed.
Id. No Fall In Price. .%.
Definite announcement is made by
the coal trade that there will be no
reduced price on anthracite. coal this
spring, as has been usual in the past
Coal will continue to sell at: 1915 ton,
instead of being put down SO cents as
starter for the new business. Coal
strike probabilities are said to be the
cause of the order issued todss!k from
headquarters. w. -.4..,:>,..
Another feature Of the situation is
the. fact that the price is in effect only
from day to day. Nm contracts will be
made and coal is for immediate de-
livery when ordered.