The sun., 1916-11-01
COAL AT A TON
:. AND GOING HIGHER
!, Prices Of stove and Nut Sizes
Advance, but Shortage
- Is Temporary.
-.
CHEAPER BY JANUARY Is
.s
r Expert Urges Public to BE Pa
tient and to Buy Fuel
\, Only as Needed.

Coal n scarce and prices are high and
| goinC higher. Consumers are paying
anywhere from s7.75 to so and more a
ton for stove and nut coal. II Is said
! prices depend largely on the dealer and
also whether the consumer Is a regular
[ customer or Just an Incidental buyer
Some dealers nave only enough coal with
which to supply their regular patrons
and charge strangers "A high notch price
60 discourage them from buying.
The advance In retail prices has been
steady for the past few days. and many
householders who have furnace worries
on their minds have been hard put to 1t
20 buy coal ut any price. Reports are
numerous Of the cutting of big orders
from 80 TO IS per cent. In order to sup
ply family wants.
lust now coal IL being shipped west
1t will continue moving In that direction
until December /. when navigation OIL
the great lakes closes. The insurance
companies do not insure Western ship
ments after that date.
Coal Cheaper BY January rs.
According to r.. w. saward, general
~ u Nut Sout JOhT Nut, tle
lake shipments will cease by December
Is and there will be n months time for
coal to come east to Ill in the gaps
4 Coal, he said, would d, much cheaper
BY the middle of January.
!, In the meantime" MI Saward said
"the public should exercise patience and
buy coal only as required. People should
be advised to buy pea coa instead OF
stove and nut coal. Pea coa Is always
much cheaper than the other sizes. and
1t 10 not as likely to advance In price
IN the same proportion. 1t is largely
used In Philadelphia, and there is nc
reason why 1t shouldn't be used Just as
well else where with a little care. II Is
probable that Philadelphians take to pea
coal because hat city Is a little closer
no the mines han we are.
There are several reasons why Goa
u scarce and coal prices are high" Mr.
oaward continued. Miners are coins
into munition factories. immigration /.
(. slight because OF the war and there arr
no new miners. Then there was an out.
now Of men from the mines by reason o.
the fact that many men went back e
the old country to fight. Many Of thes,
viii never return.
CaF Shortage IL Serious.
HS - Sobb " NlC 10 tIe stTlous
question Of a car shortage. The railway,
are Q situation in themselves
!r. Saward said there Is a In yer pro.
portionate Increase in the price Of sofI
coal than In the price OF hard coal. SOM
bituminous coal costing six time n,
much as 1t formerly did. II Is now s
per ton at some mines. whereas once 4
once sold at sl.l5 a ton.
Mr.. Saward said the capacity Of thu
country Is growing up to the capacity ot
h mines. but the capacity OF the rail
roads to carry the coal has not beer
kept up.
An oficsr OF one big coal company
which retails stove and nut coal at ST.;
. ton. an increase OF rs cents n tor
over this time a year ago. said ycsterda,
that his concern n been obliged to pa
As high as $3.50 and SIC a ton FOL
comparatively small ~consignments in or,
der to fill contracts. In addition to thi.
extremely high rate. II had been com
PEELED also to pay the freight.
OF course there isn't much money II
buying coal at S1l.60 and retailing II a
$7.76. but the law Of averages enter
lnto the transactions. as much OF the Goa
was purchased at comparatively low
prices.