Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-10-05
DISTRICT COAL DEALERS
FORM AN ASSOCIATION
But Organization Of Local Mer-
chants Is Not to Fix Prices,
It II Announced.

Announcement was made today of
the organization Of the Coal Nor
! chants Association Of the District Of
Columbia. and in connection Herewith
statement was made public by the
new civic body. warning the public Of
the impending scarcity Of coal during
the fall and carly winter" This. It was
stated. indicates that dealers wifi be
compelled to advance their prices. pos
sibly during October"
The new organisation has been quiet
month. and Jesse C. Suter. It's secre-
tary. stated at the offices of the asso-
citation, 1913 G street northwest, that
its membership so far includes about
forty Of the coal merchants Of the city
out Of total Of about seventy-hve.
Not to Fix Prices.
There IL one striking difference"
Mr.. Suter said. between this orsanixa-
ton and similar bodies of a generation
ago. and that Is that there Is NO at
tempt to fix prices. This Is for two
very good reasonsf First, To combine
to fix prices Is illegal. and second, such
organizations have been found to be
t9emcient and liable to go to pieces at
any time some member breaks away
from the agreed price,"
In regard to the impending scarcity
Of coal. it is stated that miners and
shippers have practically no coal in
stock, and are depending upon their
daily output to fill their orders.
Throughout the summer many collier
les have been spasmodically tied UP by
is said there is a very serious short
age of cars for moving coal, that the
producing collieries find 1t difficult at
present to procure labor. many men
regions because of the war in Europe,
and that a large number of those who
did not respond to the call to arms are
filing positions in munitions factories
and steel mills at larger wages than
miners pay.
Dif1culty Of Dealers.
"one of the most troublesome local
conditions at the present time." the as
sociation's statement says, 'fs the diff
Guilty of obtaining men to put away
coal Washington dealers are able to
deliver only a small portion of their
daily capacity. because Of this short
age Of labor. In many cases it Ia
necessary to send out lanterns to be
placed on piles of coal which must be
left on the street over night because
men cannot be obtained to put 1t
away"
1t is announced that the association
will appreciate it II the public will call
its attention to any abuses. These, 1t is
said, will have careful investigation and
a remedy applied If possible. It is
stated that the association Is to be a
general clearing house and bureau OF
| information for the local retail coal
trade. Employees are to be brought to-
gether to hear lectures on the coal in
| dustry and a credit and collection de-
partment to prevent losses from bad
debts will be a feature OF the organi-
zation.
Officers and Directors.
The officers of the association are
President, w. Hamilton Smith; vice
president. J. Edward Chapman; secre-
tary, Jesse c. Suter; treasurer, W. F
Hummer.
The board of directors is composed
of the following. who are to serve unit
March, 1917: A. D. v. Burr, Carl J. F
| Graf. Morris E. NARROW, o. G. Raymond
Joseph P. Stephenson, j. NJ. Burrell, B
! L. Grove, w. F. Hummer, w. Hamilton
| Smith, L. E. White, ]. Edward Chapman
| w. w. Griffith, Charles F. Miller, L. P
| Steuart and s. NJ. Frazier.