The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-02-22 00:00:00

THE SECRET OF THE HIGH PRICE OF

COAL.

At a banquet given on -Saturday night by the Shef-
field Typographical Society, Mr. Phillip Casey, mere
tary to the south Yorkahire Miner's Aesocistion, in
responding to the toast of " The Trade Societies of
the United Kingdom," made some startling revelations
as to the rouse of the high price of coal. He said
that in 1863 only 1141. per ton was paid to the miners
for coal produced, and since that time they had re-
ceived something like is. 61. per ton, which was an
advance of 50 per cent. He wanted those present bun
derstand that it waenot the miners who had got Pu-ki an
exorbitant advance on coal. It was reported that the
miners were making 10a. a day; some of them were,
but others were making a deal leas, and when coals
had been advanced from 4s. 63. per ton to 160. and rl
per ton at the pit's mouth, the cialowners murt be
getting the lion's share. The supply of coal was not
equal to the demand, and in come pience the owners
were able to push it up to its present price, and the
demand had been so great that vendors had offered 4a,
per ton over the published prices if the coalownera
would supply it. 'rho colliers of this district bad re-
ceived an advance of about 50 per cent. upon is. per
ton, but that was very different from the case of the
owners, who were getting 150 per cent. on 4s. or 50,
per ion. They must not be surprised if the collieis
went in for another advance in a week or two. They
believed they were entitled to it fairly, and it was not
their increased wages which caueed the present high
prices. It was a fearful and monstrous thing that coal
Should be sold for 503. a ton in London, when it cost
£1 at the pit's mouth, and Bs. carriage; thus the coal
merchante of London realsed a profit of per ton
upon all they sold.

Referring to the scarcity of coal, the Pall M all Gaze tie also
remarks
It is of course satisfactory when enduring the incon-
veniences of a coal famine to hear, as Lord Enfield
stated, in reply to Mr. Akroyd on Monday night, that
the minerai estate in almost unlimited quantity in China.
And yet of what vie or advantage is it to no, seeing
that it ii iseemingly impossible to get at it? The
Chinese Government have steadily declined to allow
foreign capitalists to touch the immense coal-fields of
the country, and the only consolation Lord Enfield can
suggest is the expre-aiun of "a hope " that the Chinese
' will yet realize the benefit they would derive from the
development of the mineral wealth ‘,f China by
means of foreign capital. But though we twn
look for no silo lation of the existing suffering
caused among the pourer clasees of our population by
the exorbitant price of caal front Chinese sources of
supply, since it is quite pomeible to St arve within eight
of abuutiance, the extent of the coal-fields of China
affords an element of comfort ax to the future. China,
it it reaionable to expeet, will not persist in shutting
out wealth from her shores for ever. If her supplies
could he got at and made avrislable they must preemie
all anxiety from the dresd of an ultimate failure of
the coal supply. Lord Enfield says there is no reason
to doubt the correcineas of B iron von R. :hthide no esti-
...woe of the amount of coal in the provinces of Hun an
Huprli, Heilan, and Shanxi, especially as they have
been confirmed by the reporta of our own con-
rlllB. If, th,H, ths coal-fields of China cover an area
of us re than 400,000 squire mice, as centrasted with
the comparatively small area of 12,000 square milts in
Great BribliD, the supply it 4 practically inexhaustible.
lhe quality of the wool, no far ad ascertained, seems to
be excellent. To melee this immense simply available
to the civilzed world would be a feat worthy of
diplomacy which is defined by Mr. Disraeli as "fume
without violrmcs."