The sun., 1916-11-02

IL olhl WI w
dealers who have put their prices UP to
the m wherever they saw 4 chance,
according to coal experts. II they can
md a man who has to hav. coal and
who has ne contract. he must pay the
advance
Just how long the present situation
viii continue depends very largely on
the public and on the weather. IL the
weather continues warm well into be.
cember relief viii come much sooner. ac-
cording to the coal dealers. II the pub
lie Will not insist on buying coal for the
entire winter at once. the upward price
tendency will be held in check.
The reasons consumers rsnno, get all
the coal they want now are that warm
weather induced them to let their fall
buying drag along until now. that there
is a scarcity of cars. that there H. n
scarcity OF labor on account Of general
business prosperity. After the first
week In December. when navigation
closes on the Great Lakes and shipments
now going West are turned East, relief
will be in sight.
Unpicked Coal.
II was rumored Yesterday tina large
shipments Of unpicked coal were being
rushed TO New York to take advantage
OF the high price. The unpicked coal
contains a large amount Of slate. where
as coal that has been picked contains
only : per cent. Of slate to the ton.
THE safest thing for any householder
to do in this frenzied market said
George II. Gushing. editor of the Black
Diamond. is to buy as little coal az
possible. I've got onl" thrc, tons in my
cellar. ! know II will be cheaper in a
few weeks.
Bituminous coal is sharing IN the up
ward price movement. The price II
brought yesterday WAS $3.50 a ton, 800
per cent. more than II brought last
August. Dealers say that the rise in the
price of bituminous coal IL more legiti-
mate and can he traced directly to labor
shortage and car shortage.
Over in Brooklyn Borough President
Pounds opened bids for 3,5>o.000 pounds
Of egg coal. Bacon a Co. the only bid
ders, Offered it at $3.50 per thousand
pounds. or fIl.so per ton.
Another situation that is forcing the
price still higher Is that buyers from
distant points. as far away as Maine.
fairly swarmed to the city yesterday and
bid against each other for coal.
OniciaI Statement.
The following statement was given
out yesterday by the Anthracite Bureau
u tiio w u a.
THE urgent need for coal. both an
thracite and b~ituminous. at the present
time In widespread and so acute In some
sections that a species Of panic exists
lest consumers may be found entirely
without fuel with which TO Withstand
the winters cold The operators have
been endeavoring to their utmost to re-
lieve the situation, hut have been seri-
ously hampered, not only by the serious
shortage OF labor in the held, but by the
indifference OF the miners to the exigen-
cies OF the situation.
One of the most fragrant instances OF
this and OF the violation OF the contract
with the operators is the observation of
Mitchell day on Monday. October 30.
This holiday happened this year to fall
on Sunday, the 29th. but by order OF the
union officials the mine workers we're
'ofhcially notified to observe Monday.
October 80, 1915. as a holiday by re-
manning away from work.
by this action practically all Of the
collieries in the region were shut down
and the public was deprived of from
100000 to 800. 900 tons Of sorely needed
coal. The loss TO the miners in wages
was in the neighborhood of $500. 900.
Nor Is this all. Wednesday, Novem-
Der !, is All Saints Day. and most OF
the collieries will be idle In observance
of that day. Next week election day will
mean another shutdown. and still an
other suspension will be caused by the
celebration of the Greek Catholic All
Saints Day. which Is fixed by the Greek
calendar"