The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-11-19
COAL SITUATION
NOT IiPR0ill|
Prices Will Not Get Lower Untit
Shipments West Are
Stopped.
SHORTAGE IN COAL CANS
Northern Railroad Companies
Refuse to Allow Their Carr
to Come South.
SHORTAGE IN COAL CANS

W SOIuC SVoSus
The strtnGency In the ooal masko4
continues. despite the fact that - 81
vance in prices has occurred since -
winter schedule was put Int o1DDo4
on September !. The hope 10 sxpso1oo1
by some local dealers that Tie UoE1
few weeks will see considerable r.
lief in the situation. although tt -
thought in some quarters that TIE or
periences Of 1907. a notable yaaS fo4
high prices In coal. viii be repeofeA
The hope for relief " baSod oo IL
fact that shipments Of anthracite =
the West viii cease ON or abeu& -
vember "a at which time It To pTobe-
BILE the Great Lakes viii begin 70
freeze for the winter. Anthracite con-
tinues to be the scarcest grade Of ooa1
in local markets. and should large
shipments be diverted soon In this
direction. the deficiency might - mads
up.
Held Ont Gers.
One local dealer. who has roooo&ly
Investigated the anthracite situation
In Philadelphia. says he was told By
a prominent operator there thet ~
agreement had been formed between
the Pennsylvania Railway. the F011e~
delphia and Reading and otesr
railways not to transfer their cars for
Southern, shipments It Ia said hey
fear the cars VIII not be retur1ed-
This statement. II reliable. might mean
that even II anthracite Is soon avail
able for Southern markets Il win %
all but impossible to get 1t to thAs1-
The car shortage over the conuery
showed q slight improvement 1nss
week according to the reports Of the
Railway Age-Gazette, which announces
n decrease of more than 1.3o0 In the
net shortage for the United states.
The claim is made that the car short
age is largely imaginative. anywAy.
It is said that shippers. alarmed oy
rumors of impending SHORTAGES. oraer
100 cars when they need but n1ty.
They get the dfty. but shortaxe OF
an equal number Is reported
In this connection. the statement OF
President White in his annual Tepore 10
the Richmond. Fredertcksburg ana 20
tomac Railroad stockholders yesterday
morning Il noteworthy. He said tnar
net earnings for the past year hao
been lowered. partly by reason OF sns
high price Of coal. Railroad msnAeen
over the country claim that they do NOT
have earnings SUFFICIENT to provide fne
equipment for handling the traffic. and
in turn account for their decreased
earnings by pointing to the high price
Of coal. which II caused. the coal osa1-
ers say, by car shortages.
NerIelk Prices HAGAes.
The deficiency Of labor In the West
virginia region 10 still operating To
proyent any material increase In fha
output OF the mines there In addtfaon
To thts. the working week was chs
down BY three holidays during etsc-
ton week, and other lay-e6s hAss -
granted for different reasonA o.
agent said yesterday that his eompan9
was begging for purchasers 1t IL
time last year. with SOFT coal sean.G
1t the mines for $1.l0 ton Now. -
says. the price 1t the same MINES
$50.
One ooal yard IN Rchmond can
struc6ed seven years ago with -
pac1ty Of e,eoo tons. had never oeAe
empty until the last two weeks whno
its manager has had 1aDoSeEs scrapi14
Il twice for the last feW tonA
The fact that ths we0&her has co..
tinued mild - largely responsible -
the failure Of the local coal market p
assume grave conditions Had thasO
occurred Q cold Wavs. HaehmondOD
would have felt the lack Of coa1 kesn-
IL. It remains to b soen Wheehor u
hopeful tendencies in the markse ~
be allowed to work themselves out -
fore q severe drop In tempsrafnre coseees
Local dealers are co0menft1G nv
orably on tho fast t0s4 pe1eoo b Mt.
folk are higher than tAsy are hGA u
vas stated yesterday that e Wo0 Droo-
tdcally Impossible to gst caal tDse No.
folk under the present eoo9ssse2