Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1869-09-02
tFrom the Poltsville Miners Jourral I
The Goal supply.

tFrom the Po,tsville Miners Jourrall
| The Goal supply.
| THE OBJECT OF sUspRNsioN--THK UNEx-
PEoTED REsULT-THE CAUSE OF THE HIGH
| PRICES OF COAL
| In May the market was overstockcd with
coal. There was supply in the market to
have lasted six weeks if it had bern proper
ly distributed. Under any circumstances it
would have lasted nbout four weeks at all
points. If the trade had been continued.
the price Of coal would have fallen below
the cost of production. ard wages must
have fallen TO correspond. The price of
coal at the suspension averaged about So a
| ton. After several interests failed in regu-
lating the supply to The demand, tho miners
aud laaorers succeeded in an organization
for that purpose; they believed that three
weeks suspension would be sufficient to re-
move the surplus, or at least four weeks at
the furtliest. The consumers had sufii-
cient quantity in market. ut all points, To
supply them for that length of time. AS all
the regions would pirtake of the benefit,
shSy oShS'So oii ouSut " uultC III tuG ouS
pension, and thus equalize the burlhen as
| well as the benefits. The three carrying
and mining companies in the upper end OF
the Lackawanna Region, opposed the sus-
pension under any circumstances so did
many other operators and companies who
did not possess mining aud transporting
privileges, until the suspension BECAME
u necessity, either by the men stopping, or
the operators stopping themselves for the
want of orders for coal. Notwithstanding
the opposition Of the companies, portion
of the men employed by these COM
pahies agreed to the suspension, making il
general with this exception, some fearing
The power tue companies possessed in pun
lshing them ii they engaged In the suspen-
sion. The day was fixed Tor the general
| suspension, and The order promulgated by
ine general council of the workinglIcn. AZ
ter lis promulgniiOn the men connected with
these cumt,auies, or ut least u majority, re-
solved not 10 suspend and they continued
10 work, thus throwing u large additional
stock of coal into an already overstuckcd
market. Through II tremendous pressure,
those employ ed by two companies concluded
to stop after working TWO or three weeks
but the Peunss lvani. Company, which has
never acted in unison win the other COM
I,anies, by all adroit moment mauaged 10
keep their men ut work. The other Two
companc, refused To meet their mex on any
terms whatever, but this COMPANY inme-
diatelv agreed 10 pay their men from the
commencement OF the suspension whatever
wages the other two companies IiAid theit
men when they resumed. After the susprl-
sion the work'ngiurn proposed resuiing
work On basis which gave a fair price iu
coal, S3 average per ton ut Port Carbon.
by contract III the same proportion, With an
advance oi . per cent. for every advance of
20 ce.'s per ton abuve 3,Dn s 4 for miners,
Sl2 for inside laborrr, and $l for outside
iaborers. These ra,es of wages for
he week wera not high, nor was
the price of cual high. at these rates
coal could lie delivered lu New York Ut the
then prevailing prices of transportation, !
from So Is 10 s. 90 by the cargo. The |
woiknleD were willing to resume. and also
the cnnl operators at these rates, and all tiie
producers, with the exception nf these com
paIes, finally entered into the arrangement.
These companies, however, owned almost
euliely i'll New York, and not known rs
Penns, lvania companies, refused to meet
heir men, or make any arrangement what
ever with them. They declared that they
owned the works; that they would fix the
prices themselves, and that the men were d,
have no voice whatever in regulating the
wnges The computes were rich; the,
could stand idle, and declared they would do
So sopner than meet the uen on the pro-
imsed basis, although they admitted that
| they acted upon Il basis, which they fixed
themselves; that it tile men did not like l.,
they need not work, and that they wuud
souner suspend the whule ear than 10 negt-
iia'e with them in regard to wages. In col :
sequence of this unfOIseend d fficulty, and Il
fact that Two of the three companies duIii
tue whole suspension, Ohe Delaware al d
Hudson Companies from their W inter so, k
piled at Honesdale,) prolonged the susren-
sion for two, and In some instances, three
weeks longer than was intended, which
kept about l.250,0O0 tons out of market,
when the intention was to remove only
about $40, 900, which 1t was believed would
nave hcen sufficient to keep the trade rrsu-
lar at fair paying prices during the year.
This was q totally unexpected result but
notwithstanding the removal of SO large
quantity of coal from the market, 1t cuud
still have been fully supplied at fair prices
if these two companies had resumed work
We ulsn firmly believe that coal would moi
have advanced so cents u ton, il that much,
beyend the basis of So per ton during the
whole season. They have stood idle ever
sluCS, NHN ltbusC W ulttt the Itn, VINO
alsc declare that they will not work until
they do agree to meet them. Nearly all are
| working elsewhere, and the oihere are sup
ported by the WOrkingmens Benevolent AS
sotiation, until they Can obtain work also.
Even now, II these companies were to re-.
sumo, the market could lie supp led with
coal unless the difficulties in the Lehigl Re- |
gion, caused by an attempt IN the part of n |
norton ofthe operators 10 change The basis, |
together with the stoppage of trade by the
Schuy Xxi Navigation 10 secure a supply of
water To the city Of Philadelphia, are mt
prolonged after this week. In that case II |
will he extremely doubtful If the market can |
be supplied with Anthracite. The Working
mems Association, We learn, in addition 10 |
other dues. collect from their members week |
ly contributions Of 81 80 from miners. and |
81 from laborers 10 support those who eau
not obtain employment elsewhere. This |
fund Is said to be ample for the purpose SO
far.
The advance of wages ON the basis has |
increased the cost of mining about one dol |
lar per ton, and in consequence OF the all
vance iu coal, the carrying companies have
advanced their rates from 75 cents to Sl per
ton, although there was no increase paid for
labor in the expense nf transportation.
Carl Schnrz arrived in san Francisco on
Friday night, and was enthusiastically re-
ceved by the German population.
-Bisil Duke, who was til, brains of the
Rebel bushwhacker John Morgan, has been
elected TO tue Kentucky Legislature, defeat
ing Union soldier.
An exciting political CANVASS is going ON
in Caliitrnin, The question being the ratiica-
tiOn or rejection of the suffrage amendment
by the next Legislature