The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1916-11-24
COAL DEALERS
SINCED BY new
PRICE RECORD
+. W. Morrison Paying 81 for
Fuel to Fill S3 Contracts,
Made in Summer.
COAL NOW WORTH AS
MUCH AS $3.50 TON
Wholesale Dealers Join Mr..
Ultimate Consumer in Being
Plucked May Take Slump.

The high price OF coal has not only
nit Mr.. Ultimate Consu aler where the
chicken got the axe, but it has simply
Snged the men who bay coal by the
wholesale and sell it to the private
families.
+. W. Morrison. president OF the
Morrison Ice 4 Fuel Company. has
suffered the greatest loss by the sky
rocket advance Of .oal. He suppIics
a majority of the homes i'm this city
with their winter fuel. and as has
been his custom heretofore. he took
orders for coal last summer to be de-
llvered this autumn.
He agreed to let many of his Gus
toners have their winters supplv at
- per ION But these contracts were
made before the price o. ccaI began
TO Climb skyward. Vixen the reports
cam" that fuel had gone almost out of
sight. there was rush for the office
Of Mr.. Morrison.
He assured his customers that he
could take punishment. if he had to.
and promised them that all of his con-
tracts would be kept, regardless of the
price he would have to pay to obtain
the fuel
He Is now paying 81 per ton. AID as
fast Us he receives & car, he begins
to distribute the fuel to his customers
over the city at the rate of 81 = ton.
and he pays for the hauling. lust as
always did. He will continue to play
the Good Samaritan until he has filled
all Of his early contracts.
If he were iEciinet 20 rcpudiate the
he made in the late sum
mer. he could dispose of his coal at
81 and $3.50 per ton. When he made
the agreement to furnish coal at S.
a ton. he had been promised his sup
ply of coal from the mine owners at a
reasonable price Since then. the mine
owners with whom he contracted have
failed to fill his order and he has been
To buy from other sources.
Coal has been sold at various local
fuel Offices for 81 per ton during the
past week. This unusual price Is due
10 the fact that wholesale buyers have
been unable 10 get any coal because
Of the car shortage which has produc-
nd Il crisis all oyer the country.
The Interstate Commerce Commits
sion = holding meeting at Louisville.
KY. 10 ascertain the cause for the car
shortage According to a dispatch
from that city to The Tribune last
night, the railroads of the country re-
ported to the commission that 10000
,arS which in previous years had been
used to supply cities and town all over
the country with coal and food prod
lcts, are being used to carry export
business to the East for shipment to
he nations now ut war.
Drastic measures viii he resOrtcd to
Dy the railroads. the commission was
old. to relieve the situation that now
,xists.
The railroads will increase the de
nurrage charges in order to speed up
he return of cars to their base after
hey have been carried to their destina-
ion and emptied. 1t is known that
'reight cars. which have been shipped
nto the Cape during the past six
weeks, have been permitted to stand
IN the tracks for days after they were
implied. II IS said that this condition
xiStS in all parts of the country. This
neglect is held to be responsible. in Il
Measure, for the car shortage. I'll"
are responsible for the fail
ire to return the empty cars. By In
raaSing the dcmurrage rates VIII
pecd up the movement Of empty cars.