Evening star., 1926-10-30
SOFT COAL GOES Up;
HARD COAL STANDS
Manufacturers Only Expect
ed to Feel Price lump in
Capital, However.

Although the price of bituuinous
coal is soaring toward unprecedented
prices, due largely to the tremen-
dously increased export consignments
TO Europe 70 meet the deficiency
there resulting from the prolonged
British strike, there are no indica :
tions that anthracite prices will rise.
too, local dealers declared yesterday.
Coal merchants said that the ma
jority of Washington househo olders
invariably prefer hard coal when it
is obtainable As a result. they pre-
dicted that the "skyrocketing" OF the
bituminous market would not be felt
in this city except by manufacturing
houses operating their own steam
plants, where 90 per cent of the
lstulninous coal shipped here Is used.
one OF thu largest dealers declared
that the condition of the bltuminous
market is unprecedented. Where soft
coal was almost a drug on the market
until the anthracite strike of last Fall.
II is now in such demand that it Is
virtually off the American market.
and mines that We're glad to meet
bare expenses. or even accept a small
loss to keep going are now operating
full speed ahead
Plenty of Soft Coal.
There is plenty Of bituminous coal.
OF all grades, in Washington to meet
immediate demands" this dealer CON
tinued But when il Is gone. I am
not sure what we will do. Bitunnous
ealesnen used TO come around and
beg for orders; now they wire MS thar
they are too busy shipping coal from
Baltimore TO stop in Washington. We
must go out into the market ourselves
and pay top price for whateN er we
are lucky enough TO get"
This condition was more or less con-
f1rmed by statistics on file at the
United States Bureau of Mines. In
September, 1925. only 2S3. 900 tons Of
coal were exported from the United
States to Europe. This September
the exports shot up 70 LIST, 900 tons
And in a single week Of the present
month 10000 tons We're shipped from
the port of Hampton Roads alone or
more than was exported for the entire
month or September III normal wear
BituminouS prices. as quoted in
Washington today. we're around Sl1.25
ton for prepared sizes of smokeless
coal and $3.50 for run-of-mine grade
The so-called gas" coal. which ordi
narily has little or no market at all
In this part of the country. is ONLY n
rifle cheap per. Prices at the mines
however. have virtually doubled since
September !. lOcal dealers declare. As
result retail prices will advance
sharply when WASHINGTON merchan
have to go into the market again TO
replenish their bins
Hard Coal Prices to Stand.
Anthracite prices. however. have
remained firm at from $3.50 A ton
to St575 for the popular sizes This
is slight advance over early Spring
prices, when the demand begins to
lag and the quantity starts to pile up
Local merchants declared they could
see no reason for either an advance
In price or a falling off in the ample
supply of anthracite this Winter. The
export of this grade Of fuel is prac-
tically negligible. they asserted.
Some dealers added that increa sed
exports are not alone responsible for
the inflated condition Of the hitur1i-
nous market. They pointed out that
there is a threat Of a strike in the
bituminous fields. beginning next
April. Manufacturers have become
panic stricken over the prospect Of
shut down and resultant curtailing Of
their own output. As a result they
are buying up months in advance, TO
have satisfactory store when the
Ak falls-if ii does fall.