Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-09-16
THE PRICE OF COAL AND THE MINES.

THE PRICE OF COAL AND THE MINES.
Messrs EDTons: have seen it stated in several pa
pers, and in that leaves doubt my mind,
that the coal propretors of Pennsylvania contemplate
suspending shipments of coal from the mines the
ports for limited period with view, by curtaling the
supply to prevent any decline the present high price,
do not know that read any thing which grated so
harshly on my mind as this announcement. The only
parallel find to it is the former conduct Of the
Dutch when they owned the Spice Islands, Who in order
to keep up prices allowed only certain quantity be
sent to market and burnt all the balance The conduct
Of the coal propretors is than this for they
bne to keep up ut exorbant the price Of an abb
soue necessary of e which win add greatly to the bur-
den of the poor in the coming winter whereas the Dutch
confined their deestabe system articles pure luxury
which in no way affected the comfort of the laboring
classes.
The proceeding is the unjusfable as the present
rates at the mines higher than they have ever pre-
vousy BEEN and though it is they have recently
been compelled to pay higher wages fer mining this lat
ter bears kind Of proportion to the advance the pro-
prietors have put upon the COAL which price they could
materially diminish and yet leave them than ordi-
nary and more than reasonable profit Under these
circumstances the attempt at combination to keep up
prices the present high rates. far beyond what is
fair profit, by Withholding the full supply which they
furnish, should be frowned down by the commu-
nifty and met by the people and the public press imme
diatey raising the cry for the total repeal Of all duty
upon foreign coal Of every description and also upon fire.
wood, which be brought in almost unlimited quaint
ties by coastng vessels to New York. Boston, and other
Eastern seaports from the neghborng British Provinces
have, Messrs. Editors, always been, and still am,
Jealous advocate for the protection Of American labor
and productions, when necessary in order to prevent
them from being injured broken up by foreign compe
tition; but that protection consider should be
given to articles which manufacture or pro-
duce cheap cheaper Gncludng fair profit to the
domestic produccr than the foreign producer deliver
in the United States and the advocates Of the Amer
lean system never plated hfording protection TO
such articles merely to enable our poducers by having
the monopoly Of the home market to extor
able and enormous profit from the consumers would
appear the present intention Of the coal proprieors
in Pennsylvania The sexhaustible supply Of this
ce the vicinity to market the cheapness and facility Of
transportation the experience, Skill and capital employ
ed upon it, and the complete system after long
of years. which has been organized for procuring the
cessary supply and bringing market have all combined
to place the article beyond the reach of foreign COMPETE
ton without the necessity Of protecting duty and
still leaving full profit to all pares-propretors mi
ner transporters and dealers At any rate the commu-
nifty will not be willing to submit to the present high
rates for such necessary of fe and still retain heavy
duty which prevents the foreign article from coming in
to break down the intended combination for maintaining
the present exorbitant rates f.f@e f..
is in vain for the of the mines and the deal
in coal to assert that they cannot afford the article at
less rates. for the community cannot and will not believe
that the advance in wages and transportation
ders it necessary add 5 100 per the prices
that ruled two years since. am aware that the
tolls and freight by the two great lines Of supply the
Schuykil Navigation Company and the Reading Rail-
road Company been advanced somewhere about one
dollar per ton their former charge but this advance
and the increase in the wages to the miners do
count for Of the advance in the price of coal
and if the mine proprietors and dealers in former years
obtained as they no doubt did, reasonable and fair pro-
fit why should they demand greater advance in
price than the additional expense they have incurred for
wages and transportation, instead Of which, for every
dollar OF this additional expense which has been incurred
by them they have added at least two dollars to the
sumers the price of COAL thus giving themselves that
additional profit and above what they formerly real
ized which at the time was satisfactory and rendered
large incomes from coal property?
:. Live and let ve' is sound proverb, and the COM
munity never wish to have prices below what affords
full fair compensation but the present price of COAL
it is notorious, is beyond that
II an increased demand for coal is Of the causes of
the advance price, and the proprieors and dealers had
continued their exertons to meet the extra consumption,
and have thus allowed the regular supply and demand to
regulate the rate under the usual and fair competition,
no one would or could have justly complained, any more
than when short supply increased demand raises
the price of any other article OF prime necessity but
the community naturally feel indignant at the mode
which il is proposed to adopt in stopping work and cut
tine off the natural supply in order to maintain high rates
and and unnecessary profits 1t is the duty of
one and particularly Of the conductors of the pub
lie nress to denounce such proceeding in the strongest
terms. 2.. . . "4
Congress- were previously well disposed to repeal the
coal duty and if the miners carry out their present in
tentiop such repeal will inevitably take place at the
inc session: and even the ayowed effort to maintain
prices by such mode viii probably produce the repeal
and throwing open market to the free admission Of
foreign coal will keep wholesome and eectual check
any similar future attempt to extort from the COM
munity without unreasonable price for an ar