St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1869-08-20
HOtC to Cheaper Fuel.


q
: gress for the abolition of duty on coal
submitted their report rs follows
, REPORT
The undersigned committee, appointed
at the last meeting ut the court house tc
draft memorial to congress against the
duty on coal, or for such other relief a.
may be Il remedy against the MONOPOLY
Oh coal, beg leave respectfully to report
; that III their view, all duties on coal i'm
ported from abroad should be repealed
whether on bituminous coal, or shale, OF
other coal, or on coke or culm of coal.
The tax or duty imposed on bitumi
nous coal and shale is Sips a cross or
: legal ton of 2,2i0 lbs That on coke
and culm of coal is % per cent. al re,lo-
rem, while the tax on all other coal in
troducrd from foreign countries is 10
cents a ton. The only other coal in
troduced from Great Britain, for the use
OF ilIuminatin" gas companies, which out
OF tender regard for these suffering mo-
nopOlles, = let in with a tax of only
about . per cent. 0d rI'orcm. while coke
and culm and biiuminouS coal, used for
fuel, are heavily taxed. No anthracite
coal has ever been introduced into this
country as an article of commerce from
| abroad, and no such mines are worked
or known in British North America.
! he anthracite coli monopoly of eastern
Pennsylvania, where almost the only an
thraclte is obtained in this country, could
certainly have had no fears OF compete
ton III kind from abroad But foreign
Goals Of whatever kind which compete in
our markets for fuel must be taxed to
| prohibition, or 50 rs to exclude them al
together. And why Is it intended to
make fuel scarce, that the poor may sui
fer ! Is it intended to make a great
scarcity OF fuel from Nova Scotia, New
| brunswick and Prince Edwards Island
that the anthracite coal companies of
eastern Pennsylvania may receive the in
creased price upon their hard coal
The effect of the tariff duty imposed
on soft coal. coming from Nova Scotia.
&c, by the act of June 30, 1861, is to
exclude it altogether And 81 far as
soft coal, without duty, would have sup
pilrd with fuel the wants OF New Eng
i'nd ana New ork, the anthracite coal
companies have supplied them instead,
thus SIMPLY creating a market tor hard
coal, by the exclusion ot the soft, for no
more worthy object or result than to in
crease the tribute paid by the consumer
10 the hard coM mnnopolists, while also
enabling the latter to raise their price
still higher tor one OF the most absolute
necessities OF lie.
The people of this and many other
cities and Villages i'll the ct-tern. middle
and western states, Is wood WAS disap-
pearin". gradually. 10y improved modes,
accommodated themselves to the Use of
hard rJal IN their families and uccupa-
uun>. with convenience and success.
when. suddenly. 10y the all 4ra-pin" spirit
OF monopoly, exhibited IN the cngroeS
nent OF ali the anthracite coal fields of
the country and all tine railroads and
canals !caIlm- TO and from them. in the
hands ct tour or live mining companies
and many more railroad and canal COM
panlcS. owned and controlled 10y sub
-tantialIy ths same men. the millions OF
con~umer@ tnd tEcm>e.H"- oppressed. and
many I'll '','I 'I'l-.'''i 10y the arbitrary
- .'i,'ts-----lNr prices G''"Rhded Tor the
ori-inal nit OF ''''i to man.
The estimated quantity of Goals of all
kinds mined IN Grea; Britain in 1884,
WAS Gl.tG!, too tou~. and the value of
that years product. III the mouth OF the
pits, WIS ,5.uon.oop, or SLID a ton.
Now, making all the allowance tor dit
ference IN tine value OF monty OF the two
countries, Il would seem IL though coal