Evening journal., 1913-04-25

Coal dealers of the city have de-
cided that hereafter they will sell
noal in lots of 2000 pounds unless the
buyer specifies a ton of 2240 pounds.
At the last session of the Legislature
A bill was passed making 2240 pounds
The legal weight Of a ton of coal in
this State Prior to the enactment
Of the new law 20O0 pounds had for
years been considered a ton by the
dealers and very little coal was
bought at the rate of 2240 pounds for
q ton. 1000 pounds Will not be called
a ton by the dealers and if a ton of
coal is ordered the buyer Will get
224O pounds of coal All prices viii
be based however, on lots of 1000
pounds for domestic use.
Since the passing of the bill many
persons have been comparing prices
of coal in Wilmington with those of
Philadelphia. In Philadelphia coal is
sold in lots of one ton Of 2240 pounds
and compared with the price of ton
of 2240 pounds of coal in this city
the Philadelphia dealers are selling
coal cheaper than the consumer can
buy it in Wilmington.
The prices of coal in this city as
stated by the Charles Warner Com
pany and the Consumers Ice and Coal
Company the two largest distributors
IN the city, per lot of 20O0 pounds are
as follows:
Broken and Egg. Sc; Egg and Stove,
S6.15; Stove. S625; Nut, $780, Stove
and Nut, S6.40; Nut and Pea, $3.50;
Pea S5.25.
If coal is wanted in lots of 2240
pounds the dealer will add II per
cent. TO the price of 2000 pounds.
The prices quoted THE EVENING
JOURNAL by a Philadelphia coal
company, which is a large concern
and sells an immense amount of coal
during a year are as follows per ton
of 2240 pounds: Egg and stove, 1922;
Stove, S675; Nut, 81; Stove and Nut,
S6.S7; Egg $3.50.
To compare these prices with the
Wilmington prices add u per cent.
the price of 2000 pounds of coal i'm
Wilmington and it will be found that
the Philadelphia price Of coal is
about 25 cents cheaper than the VIII
mington price. For instance, the
price of 1000 pounds of stove coal in
Wilmington is S6.25 and the price of
nut coal is $3.50 Adding II per cent.
of this price for the 2240 pound rate
the Wilmington price is 81 for stove
coal and S7.2S for nut coal. This is
25 cents higher than the Philadelphia
price for stove coal and % cents
higher than the price of nut coal for
the full ton. This higher price pre-
walls in all grades of coal
The Wilmington dealers explain the
difference In prices of coal in the two
cities by the difference in freight
rates and condition s.
Wilmer Stradley, manager Of tn
Consumers Ice and Coal Company,
when interviewed by a reporter from
THE EVENING JOURNAL yesterday
afternoon said that the Wilmington
freight rate on coal is IS cents high
CT than the rate on coal into Phila-
delphia. which. Of course, accounts
for a part OF the increased cost to
the consumer In this city. When
asked what was responsible for the
other difference, Mr. Stradley said
conditions were much different in the
y two cities.
We have longer and rougher hauls
in this city than in Philadelphia, and
our streets are not in as good condi-
tion, and this town has moro hills
than Philadelphia. which, of course,
makes Il harder on a team and in
CrcaSeS the cost or getting the coal 10
tho consumer Mr.. Stradley said an
Philadelphia most Of the large dealers
have FIVE or six yards which deliver
only n one zone. thus making the
haul shorter, while In this city we
deliv { a load Of coal around the cor
ner from our yard or we may have to
take It TO Thlrtieth and Market
streets. One haul certainly costs
more than tho other. We are the
only company in the city that has two
coal yards and all OF our hauls are
exceedingly long,
Mr., Stradley said that IN Philadel-
phla the dealers were allowed by law
n shortage OF per cent of each ton
known as waste, and that they really
sold 2200 pounds OF coal for q ton,
all of them taking advantage of the
laws allowance. These conditions,