Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-10-27
From the Philadelphia North American.
The Coal Susnension.

The suspension Of shipments which was
threatened by the Schuylkill operators, has at
length taken place, as our readers have no
doubt seen in the diminished receipts of coal
here by railroad. An article in the Miners
Journal informs us that it will continue through
the greater part, if not the whole Of this week.
The Journal assigns as a reason for this sus-
pension, the Withholding Of orders. Some of
the papers of this city have stated that the
suspension was caused bya strike of the opera
tives at the mines. This may be true, but the
Miners Journal says nothing about it, which
rather tends to throw doubt over it. For the
information of our readers, we append the
Journals usual trade article:
1.-The quantity sent by railroad this week is
2S,7l9 OF tons-by canal 1925 OIL tons-for
the week 44,934 08 tons. Increase by rail
road 3s9,508 09-do by canal 57,728 OIL, to
same period last year.
The shipments are light this week. showing
falling off since last week of 2l,170 Is tons.
"The coal trade is in "a snarl;' consumers
abroad still continue to hold back, expecting
coal to fall dealers, of course, cannot pur-
chase, and the trade at Richmond cannot sell.
Freights and wages remain without change,
and our operators cannot furnish coal at the
prices offered for it; hence they have deter
mined to suspend operations until the coal is
wanted at price that will pay for mining at
the present rates of wages, and materials that
enter into the business. This was the only
course left for the operators under the circum-
stances. The suspension is pretty general;
only few persons who have contracts con-
tinue to mine.
:" The trade here have reduced the prices as
low as the circumstances will permit
Just as our paper was going to press, we
laar hot he lo II,
not quite, general throughout the ensuing
week
But about five weeks of the shipping season
remain, and some of the markets, we learn,
are bare of coal and so long as the press
abroad teens with articles, stating that the
price of coal is falling, so long will the consul
mers hold back this is the natural course of
trade and if they are caught with short sup
ply, let the responsibility rest where it proper
ly belongs.
"Our operators have furnished an increase of
446,326 10 tons over the shipments of last
season, in the teeth of all the publications made
in the cities last winter and spring, that they
could not increase the trade one ton on the
seaboard this year; consequently they have
done their duty towards supplying the market,
and are not liable TO any censure if the supply
should prove to be short"
w nat Will De the result oil this we can only
conjecture. There is probably good ground
for the allegation that the consumers of New
York and the eastward have withheld their
orders, as we have intimated on recent occa
sion, and, indeed, it is true that some of our
own dealers shrink from storing their winter
stock Of coal at the present ruling rates, for
fear of heavy losses. As it isy their profits arc
reduced TO a very low figure, in consequence of
the high rates demanded at the mines, and the
heavy tolls. And neither suspension of ship
ments, nor any other cause which NAV be re-
sorted TO, will be likely to induce them TO store
thousands Of tons Of coal at rates which they
may not be able TO obtain through the winter
Here is the grand difficulty. We are unable to
say how much truth there may be in the state.
ment that the wages demanded by the miners
are too high for mining to be profitable to the
operators. If there be any strike there is some
reason for the suspensions; but if there be none
1t seems odd that the wages which have been
paid all the season should be too high now
We had hoped that the large shipments by
railroad and canal after the recent controversy,
and the intimation Of the Miners Journal that
orders were plenty, we're indicative of an end
to all present trouble on the subject but il
seems that the course of the New England
press in advising consumers to withhold their
orders, has produced its natural effect We
sincerely regret this occurrence, for it cannot
be otherwise than disastrous to the coal trade.