Perth Amboy evening news., 1906-06-28
COMBINE
UP IN PASSA|C
That City Treated Similarly TO
Perth AmbOy by Its Coal Deal
erS Went Outside.

AZ |
Up in Passaic the school board had
the same trouble with the coal deal
ers as did the board in this city. Out
of town dealers were persuaded to
bid and the local combine there was
beaten. The Passaic Daily News tells
about it as follows:
An independent coal company last
night was awarded the contract by
the board of education to supply the
Passaic public schools with coal
needed during the coming year at
$3.50 per ton, delivered at the
schools.
The award was made at a special
meeting of the board held for the
purpose of receiving bids for fuel.
Fifteen bids were received, as fol-
lows:
Bonney Brothers, Hemion Coal and
Grain company, Dundee Coal COM
pany, Passaic City Ice and Coal
company, A. Wilensky & Son, Citi-
zens' Coal & Supply company. Serlin-
sky C Son, Campbell, Morrell & Co.,
r. ]. O'Brien & Brothers company,
Charles M. Corbin, Aaron White,
| oliver Adams, j. and A. Steinberg
and Kaplan, and w. II. Blight.
Among the bidders were three in
dependent dealers, the Dundee Coa
company and Aaron White. OF this
city, and w. H. Blight, of Elmira, N.
Y. These all bid under the others,
who are all members of the local
combine and whose figures were all
identical.
AS was the case last year and the
year before, the trust dealers quoted
the regular retail prices now in force,
as follows:
For egg, nut and stove coal deliv-
cred before July, $3.50 per ton de-
livered and rs cents extra for carry
ing, where necessary; for coal deliv-
cred in July and August, $5.75, inc
after September 1, Sc; for pea coal,
"a per ton. Those who bid on wood
quoted the kindling required at 70
cents per barrel and cord wood at
$3.50.
The bid of the Dundee Coal COM
pany, represented by Philip Rich
mond and s. B. Steinberg, was as fol-
lows:
For egg, stove and stove coal, de-
livered, any time before cold weather
sets in, $3.50 per ton; kindling wood,
Is cents a barrel; cord wood, $5.Zo.
Aaron Whites bid was $5.4O for
egg, stove and nut; $3.50 for pea
coal, 20 cents for kindling and $6,5O
for cord wood.
w. H. Blight, OF Elmira, quoted
egg, stove and nut coal, {. 0. b. Erie
railroad at Passaic, at $4.46 per net
ton, railroad weight.
Referred to Committee.
After the bids had all been opened
and read, Secretary Cowley moved
that they be referred to the commit
tee on ~janitors and supplies, to re-
port back later in the evening. rms
was done and the board TOOK a recess
of about twenty minutes while the
committee deliberated. Chairman
Robert r. Watson, John Adams and
Philip Castline, who compose the
committee. agreed on and signed a
report recommending that the con-
tract be awarded to the Dundee Coal
company, which was presented by MI.
Watson when the board re-convened
and was unanimously adopted by the
ten members OF the board present.
Messrs. Hall and Brady were absent.
During the committees delibera-
lions. there arose a question as TO
whether the Dundee company would
De aDIG W ucllNCl iAO ohiOuhe -
coal needed by the schools. Mr..
Richmond. when asked this question,
replied hat his company had on hand
at the present time LOO tons of coal
ready for delivery and that he stood
ready If required to give a bond for
$4,000 to insure the delivery OF the
coal according to contract.
Combine Men Present.
n-.o.l commemorative Of the local |
coal dealers association were present
at the meeting. including Secretary
Loucks. of Paterson. None of them
had ANYTHING to say, either before or
after the awarding of the contract.
For fuel, including coal and wood,
the board of education pays annually
about $4,000. The saving by award
ing he contract to the Independent
dealer will amount to about $500.
Secretary Cowley, of the board,
this morning had the contract signed
and gave the first order for delivery
of coal to the schools. He also in
spected the yards and reports that
the Dundee company has plenty OF
coal. In order that there may be no
question as to the delivery, Mr.. Rich
volunteered this morning to
sign a $4,000 bond, although 1t was
not required last night by the board.
City Counsel Sullivan is in Trenton
today, but the bond will be executed
tomorrow morning
The independent company, 1t VIII
be noticed, supplied the coal at $500
per ton. If coal can be secured at
that price in Passaic, it ought not to
cost more here.
The Passaic dealers, who are all
in the combine, asked $3.50 per ton.
which is the retail price. In Perth
the coal combine keeps the
price at $3.50 during the
months when people are using coal.