Evening star., 1931-05-23
FADELEY ASSA|LS
CROSSER FIGURES
IN COAL DISPUTE
Ohio Representative Is Call
ed "III.Informed" in Reply
to Statement.
SHOWS SHORT TON USE
FOR RECOVERY OF LOSS
Profit This Year Would Be Only
100000, and Not $4,000
as Claimed.

Representative Crosser's statement
that the sale of coal by the long ton
instead Of by the short ton means a
savinE of $4,000 to Washington con-
sumers was criticized today by G. ?.
NJ Fadeley of Fadeley g. Co., whole
sale ccal merchants, 160 M street
northeast, as being ''but fair sample
of the misinformation and malignment
that has been put out in the public
press since April /, to the detrtment
Of the good name and standing OF the
coal merchants of Washington"
The Ohio Representatives. statement
was published last wednesday as a let
ter to the District Commissioners. Mr..
CroSser has backed the superintendent
of weights and measures in the con-
tention that only the sale OF coal by the
long ton is allowable here by law.
In letter to the Commissioners, Mr..
FadeIey asserted that Mr.. Crosser is
evidently as i'll informed on the coal
situation here as with that in Ohio
FadeIey Answers.
The full text of Mr.. Fadeleys letter
follows:
In the evening papers of Wednesday
May 20, 1891, appeared an article pur-
written to your honorable body by Rep
resentative CrosSer of Ohio. SPECIFIC
prices were said to be named by him
on fve different sizes of anthracite
coal as of May i, 1890, and April l.,
1891, tending to show by their average
marginal differences of 81 cents per
ton that the coal merchants OF wash
ington would make s444 900 per year
as result of the change to 1000
pound unit.
Representative CroSser is evidently
a. iu-informed on the coal situation
here as with that in Ohio, where he
mistakenly believed that coal was sold
by the long ton of 2,240 pounds, while
from time immemorial it has been on
the short-ton basis of 1000 pounds. OF
the total yearly consumption OF coal In
Washington of about 100000 tons,
mentioned by Mr.. CroSser, only about
100000 are anthracite coal. The 81
cents per ton can only apply to anthra-
cite. which reduces his s444, 900 to
$185, 900.
Discrepancy 100000.
"The mine prices Mr. Crosser quotes
for May. 1880, are based on a coal
for which the producer charged q
premium OF 25 cents per ton on all sizes.
However. in quoting the mine prices in
IL,
prices for egg, stove and chestnut (the
popular sizes which constitute S5 per
cent of sales. This makes a difference
of 20 cents per 1000 pounds on these
sizes, and further cuts his discrepancy
down to 100000. So much for the
mere figuring on the erroneous basis of
comparison employed, which still does
not square with the actual facts IN the
case.
"a con,parisor ,.,itl, Nav I,ricas II,
1880 with April prices in 1881. Is also
inaccurate and unfair. Last year the
operators announced that their Spring
reduction would be deferred from April
] to May /. Local coal merchants we're
given to understand that this postpone
ment would result in greater reduc-
ton than usual. This information was
passed on to the consumers. However,
on May /, the reduction, when an
nounced by the operators. was only so
cents (the same as the previous year,.
A reduction Of 81 had been anticipated,
and virtually promised to the con-
sumers. To avoid the onuS OF not living
up to their promises the coal merchants
here generally made a reduction of the
promised dollar, by giving an additional
Accent cut of their retail margins. This
additional 40 cents was added to the
prices of future months just as the So
gained in monthly advances. BY Sep
tember ! coal had resumed normal
Winter prices
Representative Crosser has used 40
cents, given by the dealers out Of their
margins in May, last year, to prove that
they are gaining 40 cents this year, in
changing 10 the 2,0O0-pound unit.
Consumers Not Hurt.
"On a yearly basis the consumers of
Washington win not be adversely af-
fected by the change from a long ton
TO a 2.000-pound unit. as claimed. An
accurate calculation Of a years sales
Of anthracite at the 20O0-pound unit
prices will show a slight loss in margin
to the dealers.
This is but a fair sample of the
Inisinformation and malignment that
has been put out in the public press
since April !, TO the detriment of the
good name and standing Of the coal
merchants Of Warrington. which tends
10 vitality impair the good will of the
public on which their business welfare
so intimately depends"