New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-11-19
Different Rates Shown in
Boroughs-Swann Sub
p9naS Dealers
EVIDENCE SOUGHT
OF COMPACT HERE
Testimony Will Bring
Actions of Traders
Under Scrutiny

As tho result Of an investigation by
the police into the price Of coal Henry
BAY Case, secretary Of the Police De-
partment. will forward TO District At
torncy Swami and 20 the Federal au-
,horities the data he has gathered re-
garding both the cause Of the recent
advance and its effect
o., On November s. 9 and 10 patrolmen
from the various precincts inquired OF
wholesale and retail dealers the price
% coal and the amount each had on
hand. In some instances these dealers
refused all information.
The report says that Staten Island
ers we're paying $40 a ton for stove
size. residents Of Flushing and ia
maiea the same amount, Brooklynites
from ss.75 TO $40, residents Of Long
Island City 50, Of Far ROekaway Sl2,
Richmond Hill SO, Ozone Park Sll and
the Ridgewood section Of Brooklyn
from $1,000 TO S11 ton.
Poor Are Paying More
The tenement dwellers, it appears
.-o having Is cents FOR pail contain
ing from fifteen TO twenty pounds OF
FIVE cents more than last years price,
from % 20 80 cents for bushel oil
coal. as compared with from 20 to 20
cents last year, and from 60 to 90
cents per hundredweight, as against
20 cents a year ago.
The report shows that wholesale
dealers charge from 1913 to $50 a
ton. while the smaller dealers chaI.e
xt1. s11.6O and S12 a ton to residents
- Manhattan. In Brooklyn the whole
sale price is Sc a ton for pea coal ana
s-75 for stove. egg and nut, or an
increase Of 90 cents IN each instance
over last years prices. Inc BrooAiyn
retail dealers charge from SS.t5 10 SIU
a TON. as against $5.75 20 IS last year.
The names and addresses Of lZO
-otail dealers in Manhattan have been
sent 70 District Attorney Swami tor
INVESTIGATION. OF this number twenty
EIGHT refused any information 10 the
nolice regarding the amount OF coal on
rand The remaining 392 reported as
rollows. Three hundred and sixteen
had 10 tons each; "a had from 10 20
~ TONS. 16 from 100 to 400, and six,
known 10 the trade as ITS supermen;
had from 600 to 1000 tons on mana
each,
a score Of wholesale and retail coal
dealers. including Frank Burns OF
Burns Brothers, have been subpPnaen
20 appear before District Attorney
Swami this week TO throw some Hght
on the recent price raising.
Mr.. Swami believes that 1t may be
in,possible 20 prove conspiracy on the
mart Of tho dealers, but he also believes
that the ultimate result of rigid IN
ouirv will be TO bring the price back to
normal before many weeks elapse.
Il think" he said, that the prinei-
nal thing is to find out Just what has
heen the motive behind the price rais-
ING. II may he that We Will not be
able 10 obtain indictments, for 10 IS
difficult 10 find out what rs IN man
mind. and without q 'squeaI from the
inside 10 is almost impossible 70 prove
conspiracy. We're going TO the bottom
Of the matter. however. apd ! confident
lv expect that by the time We have
finished the inquiry the price OF coal
will be restored to normal
Competition Causes Increase
Several coal authorities VINO nave al
ready been examined by Assistant DIS.
trict Attorney Markewich, In charge OF
the inquiry, say that the underlying
cause Of price raising is the fact that
the largest consumers Of the country
are outbidding the wholesalers at the
mines. and the wholesalers have conse-
quently passed along the advance TO
the retailers. Many Of the latter hav,
been losing money on long-term con
tracts and are making up for it by ae
vancing the price TO the consumer with