Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-08-25
WHO'S THE BLACK
MAN IN COAL PILE?
IOWA DEALER SAYS RETAILER
Is NOT GUILTY OF prof.
TEERlNG.
DOES NOT BELIEVE
WHOLESALER is EITHER
Therefore Puts Il Up TO Coal opora-
, tor and Cites Recent Prioe Boost
ing at Mines to Prove His Con-
tention--Operators Setting Their
Own Prices Without Restraint.

o"h Tr'ces Wrhout Restraint.
Cedar Rapids, Aug. 25.-That the
wholesalers and retailers are not the
coal proflteers that 1t would seem, by
recently published articles on the coal
situation. was the emphatic assertion,
OF G. A. Winnie, of the Winnie Coal
Company today. +,
Mr.. Whine backed up his statement
by huge sheaf OF invoices and bills
from Kentucky ind Illinois coal com
panies. from which his company has
been purchasing coal this summer.
Those not only showed prices higher,
oy W to vi, u ton. but also showed
That the mine operators have been
raising prices rapidly the last month
and without giving any specific rea-
son to the buyers for such action.
The average price of bituminous
coal at the mines. of s275 ton.
might have been true several months
ago, but is not the case now, declar..
ed Mr.. Winnie. Kentucky coal, he
said was last quoted to his firm ut
81 a ton. I. o. b. at the mines, Cannell
coal at 1852 and Southern Illinois at
$3.50 and upward.
An example of the way In which
operators have shot the price of coal
skyward without notice was given by
MI. Winnie In the case of a company
In, the Springfield. H., district, which
quoted coal at $3.50 a ton. the mid
die of July, a few days later 1915.
then Sc and now at $3.50. The local
company has twenty cars of the latter
ordered but delivery is doubtful and
the price may even so higher before
that time.
Operators Get Their Price.
The operators set their own
prices. said Mr.. Winnie "lfsthe dealer
doesn't want TO OF, can't pay 1t. then
the coal gees on to another. We re-
ceiye little or no explanation of price
increases and understand they are
subject to rapid change.
The company selling us coal MT
S7.50 may push that price higher II
the miners wage<which they are ask
Ing Is granted and made retroactive
to a time covering the period during
which the coal was mined. The
operators are making clear profit
of at least So on such deal, I
think"
That the ultimate consumer of
coal. If he Is lucky enpughsto get Ii
at all, does not realize the expenses
which must be covered by the dealer
In the price difference between that
of the mine and the retail yard.
averred Mr.. Whine.
The local rate on Kentucky coal Is
now $1a.6o, and the last from Illinois.
sold here. went at s1l.5o and up.
Dock COAL hauled from the mines by
boat and then transferred at Duluth,
Green Bay and other lakes docks for
shipment to dealers, has been quoted
at the docks at $3.50, $14.5o and s14
a ton. Added to this price,, the dealer
must pay the freight together with
war tax, which i the case of dock
coal amounts to sa.15 a. ton.
If We get 80 cents a ton clear
profit on coal, we feel we are doing
WE'LL said Mr.. Whine. ",rhe differ
ence between the mine and the retail
price, is the total overhead expense
OF the dealer plus that profit"
Freight on Kentucky coal Is from
$3.50 to $4.75 a ton, on central Il
linois, $2.55, and southern Illinois
$3.50 a ton, all carrying federal tax,
in addition to. those amounts. The
dealer must pay this, then his regu.
lar overhead expenses. including To-
cal labor. haulage and maintenance
expense must be considered before
fixing q selling price, according to
Mr.. Whine.
Where Is the BIame7
Just who is the black man In the
coal pile is even further unknown,
but according to Mr.. Winnie, the clues
point to the operator rather than the
dealer. The federal trade commits
sion's most recent figure on the cost
Of producing coal is s2.O4 ton. The
average cost Of NINE supplies Is 81
cents ton and the average Of other
expenses, Al cents q ton. according
to that report. So in that light the
dealers feel that the operators pro-
fits are increasing.
Mr. Whine said his company ia
from thirty to ninety days behind =
delivery Of orders. Orders are beins
taken and filled as soon as possible,
but at the current price when filled.
rather than the price when the order
was placed. With conditions as UNI
certain as they are one man a month
later In line than another may have
to pay price wholly unexpected at
the time he placed his order.
Conf1scation Of coal by railroad
continues, according to
the local dealer. Five cars were,
taken from a consignment to the
local company last week and today
the Whine company received notice
that two. more Of Illinois coal were
to be used by the railroads.
Coke which is selling at 1850,
ton here and upwards will even 80
higher, Mr.. Whine anticipates, due to
the increase in freight rates which
will hit coke a double> blow, as the
effect both on the coal transported
from the mines to the ovens and the
coke from the ovens to the dealers,
will be taken into consideration.
LUTHERAN SYNOD GROWING.
P>nax. - No.S.>>.>> oL>... M.>L