The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-10-16
Investigation Made by Representative
Of Chicago Tribune Indicates
That Fancy Figures Will be
Paid.
TWICE PRICE PAID IN 1916
Freight Rates up FORTY Per Cent on
Eastern Coal and Thirty-thrce
Per Cent on Illinois
Coal.

| [Oscar E. Hewitt in the Tribune.]
| CHICAGO, Ill, Oct. 15.-M winter
ARRIVES on the weather mans
schedule, there will soon be rush
for the coal yards. The procrastlna-
Itors and the poor usually wait to feel
the tinge of frost This year they
will probably pay fancy price. IL
was estimated by one coal statish-
clan yesterday that retailers have
orders for more than 100000 tons
which have not been delivered. Fuel
! is not now available to fill these
orders and they will be given perefer-
ence over those filed later.
Prices in Eleven Yards.
! Data were collected on what eleven
Chicago retail yards have considered
fair price to date this month on
ton lot deliveries-conside the
most expensive-and the quantity
ordered by poor people at one time
These average figures show that
this class of coal users will pay
twice as much as in 1916, the year
before this country entered the war,
providing they deal with reliable
concern which has acquired its sup
ply on contract from the mines. If
the tardy buyers purchase Of the
dealer who is buying at the present
high spot prices, they will pay con-
isiderably more.
Double 1916 Cost.
These eleven yards, which, how
lever, do not involve eleven different
companies, gave figures which show
that the average price on southern
Illinois coal of domestic sizes is
$1,000 delivered in ton lots. This
|applies OF nut, egg, and lump. This
same coal sold for 81 in the first half
of October last year. $3.50 during the
same period of 1918, $3.50 in 1917,
land s525 in 1916
For mine run of Pocahontas the
average price of the eleven yards is
is13.40 To old customers in wagon
load lots this has been sold to date
this month for less than $11. Last
October this same coal in ton lots
sold by these same yards for 1925
ton. For October, 1918, complete
data for all yards was not obtain
able, but in October, 1917, the price
was 81 and in 1916, $3.50.
.... ... 1aro Coal IOwcT.
Although the price of anthracite is
high, it's percentage Of increase is not
as large as that of bituminous. Com
parative average prices on hard coal
for October for five years are as fol-
lows, according to these eleven
sources of information:
Size. 1920. 1919. 1918. 1917. 1916.
Egg 90. .s16.4O So. 20 s1O75 $3.50 $500
Range :. 1910 1910 1926 $50 900
Chestnut 1850 1880 11.05 $50 $50
Pea 80. 1850 HOO 9.55 $50 500
The average price quoted on Sol
way egg is S15.65 which sold last Oc-
tober for an average of s11.20, for
s12.45 in 1918, sS75 in 1917, and $7.25
in 1916.
For solvay nut the average now is
$1465, although it, too, sold in Oc-
tober, 1916, for S7.25.
Freight Rates Effect.
These averages of retail prices
quoted above from dealers who pur
chased their fuel on contract. To
large part of their trade they are
selling at prices below those quoted,
because their customers contracted
for fuel months ago at fixed price
subject TO increase Ill lIelSHL ldtco
and miners wages.
Freight rates on eastern coal went
up this year about 40 percent and on
Illinois coal SO percent. This on an
thracite means an increase of $1.65
to s1.97, and on southern Illinois coal
SO to 70 cents.
The retailer who is now buying
coal at "spot" prices will charge $13
a ton or more for the domestic sizes
of southern Illinois coal quoted above
at 5000.
The retailer who is paying So a
ton at the mines or from a jobber
must also pay the S2.12 freight rate,
so that his original cost f. o. b. Chi
cago is s1012. When DR.. Garfield
was federal fuel administrator he al
lowed the retailers of Chicago a mar
gin of s2.35 for handling, carriage,
overhead, selling expense and profit.
Because of increased costs it is now
claimed that SO should be the mar
gin and that will run the price
above S13.