New Britain herald., 1916-11-02
DEALER DISCLAIMS
 CONTROL OF PRICE
Coal Man Claims Railroads Are Alone at Fault for Advances

The soaring prices of coal is being viewed with concern by local people and many believe that the dealers are responsible. But this is not so, if the statements of some of the local deal CTS are considered. President Frank H. Johnston of the City Coal & Wood company, today issued a statement that should throw some light on the matter and incidentally took crack at w. H. Truesdale, president of the D. l.. & w. railroad for declaring that there is no shortage of coal and the existing prices are not justified. To this man MT. Johnson sent the fol- lowing telegram last night, which up to noon had not been answered: w. H. Truesdale, President
 D. l.. & w. Railroad,
 120 Broadway, N. Y. City.
 Local paper in press dispatch prints statement by you denying alleged shortage of coal and states that ad- vanced prices by dealers are not jus- tified.
 New Britain needs coal-at what price will you ship us five to ten cars of nut or stove coal and when will you Shlp?' Wire collect.
 CITY COAL &. WOOD CO.,,
 By F. H. Johnston, Pres
 In reference to this matter, Mr. Johnston had the following to say. President Tuesdale is at the head of one of the largest coal carrying 1 companies in this country, and I
 wired him as I did because of the 1 1act that s9.90 per ton on the track 1 at New Britain was paid for coal a weeg ago to one of these producing l coal companies and today the price quoted rom prompt shipment is from $lO.l5 to $10.65 per ton and advanc- l ing every day.
 New Britain is 250 miles from the 1 coal mines, and during the fall and l winter months the dealers here are l compelled to keep at least a. months supply ahead, to supply the demands of those who cannot put in the whole l seasons consumption
 l Three Weeks Supply Here
 We have orders placed in July with l one of the largest shippers on which
 we have not had a car shipped vet l owing to the continued strikes and | labor trouble at the mines. There is 1 from two to three weeks supplv in
 the city at present, but we must have l more coal before winter sets in. and 1 we cannot wait until then to buy if 1 The people of New Britain have more coal in their bins now than in any previous fall, owing to the heavy 1 buying all summer, and unless we
 have a severe winter dealers here l hope to be able to get enough coal
 at a reasonable price to take care of 1 their customers.
 The whole trouble is simply a mat ter of supply and demand The de- 1 mand all summer has exceeded sup ply. The statement in the same ar- l ticle in last nights Herald from the | Anthracite Bureau of Inform ation at 1 Wilkesbarre, Pa., states the facts very ! clearly.
 "From April to Sept. 3Oth, 1916, l the amount of coal mined was 2,000,- 1 900 tons less than in the same month
 of 191 B. owing entirely to the short
 age of labor at the mines Storage l coal is exhausted. The railroads are l over 16O,OOO cars short of the de-
 mand and the coal roads in Pennsyl- vania will not today allow their cars l to come into Connecticut, as they must have them for their own cities l and towns Notwithstanding this ad- | mitted shortage in coal the miners
 on Monday all quit work to celebrate l Mitchell Day. and on Tuesday "All Souls Day." and on Wednesday "All 1 Saints Day" and on next Tuesday, | Election day, all holidays observed by
 the majority of the miners. This rep
 resents nearly 100000 tons of coal on each of these four days that might
 be mined to help out the public at
 large and every ton of it Is needed in l New England.
 l New Britain Cared For.
 Tn common with every other line l of business the coal dealer here has