Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-08-29
COAL DEALERS
WILL CONVENE
Members of Jersey Coal Ex-
change to Hold Conference
at Elizabeth
SITUATION Is SERIOUS
Strike Must be Settled at
Once is Feeling in This City
and County

Representative coal dealers of
Ferth Amboy who are members of
the Central New Jersey Ccal Ex-
change are planning to attend the
exchange meeting at Eliza beth to-
morrow at which time an effort will
te made to find a solution of the
| coai problem that threatens this vi
| cinity vito an acute fuel shortage
Immediately.
Dealers here report scanty
stocks on hand and say 1t is next to
impossible to get hard Goa. at any
price. Few local residents have a
sufficient supply on hanG to tide
them over the worst of the winter
and unless some plan be devised to
relieve the famine a serious condi-
ton is apt to ensue in this city.
The coal exchange has 4 plan in
| view to purchase semi-anthracite or
| bituminous fuel at the mines in West
! Virginia as a means of relieving the
| pending scarcity. according to Fred
| erlck G. Conkey, secretary of the or
| ganization. The project is merely
| tentative at present. he points out,
! but serious consideration will be
| given the question at tornorrow's S
session and it will certainly be
| adopted if found to be feasible.
Mr.. Conkey is quoted thus; Our
idea is to get semi-anthraclt6 or
prepared hituminous coal if at all
possible. Our plans at this time are
more or less in the air but we will
m n nffnrt nnGGih1a if VI. sa n
get some coal here to ease off the
situation during tho winter. We
figure if we can get some of the Sc
other fuels, such as the rest of the
world burns, that we can give II to
these people who are in a position to
use it and save what anthracite is
received here for those whose equip
ment will burn nothing else.
"A committee is working on the
plans at the present time and we
expect to discuss its findings and
freight rates at the meeting We'd
nesday afternoon"
G.. NJ. Petersen, coal dealer of this
city, confirmed the reported plan for
importing soft coal and semI-an-
thracite coal for use here. He said
that semi-anthracite coal was being
mined in West Virginia, prepared in
sizes similar to hard coal and that
the plan to purchase it was being
seriously considered by the ex-
change.
"A representative of the West
Virginia operators will be at to-
mcrrow's session" Mr.. Petersen
| continued, "and we will be in a posi-
tor to make decision after a con-
ference with him." Regarding the
probable price of such fuel the local
dealer said it would certainly be no
higher than the present scale.
Mr.. Peterson also remarked that
officials of the Newark schools were
comforting today with representa-
tives of the West Virginia mines to
negotiate for the purchase of semi
! anthracite 20 heat the school sys-
! tenn through the winter.
I The e. j. Dorsey Company said it
knew nothing of the plan to obtain
soft coal for private use here, not
being a member of the exchange.
John Rymsha, however. the State
street coal man, confirmed the re-
port but emphasized the fact that
the project was merely under con-
sideration. He was not prepared to
say how far he thought the plan
would go. but expected TO attend to-
morrow's exchange meeting.
we must SEND out feelerS among
the consumers" Mr.. Rymsha con-
tinued, ''in order to learn whether
or not they will give the semi-an-
thracite a trial. If they agree we
can go ahead with the plan"
The dealer did not prophesy what
would be the result if the consum-
ers refused the substitute for their
regular article, but intimated that
the plan to obtain quantities of semi
anthracite and soft fuel would have
to be abandoned in view of such
an eventually.
Mr.. Rymsha said the price ques-
tion. could not be touched upon yet.
He was unable to fix any figure but
! pointed out that soft coal sold last
week brought more than hard coal
| last winter. Increased production
he continued, was the only remedy
| for high prices.
]