Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1869-08-03
The FUEL QUESTION.
The High Price OF Csal-What the Papers
Say About IL.

The late advance in the price of coal Is at
tracing considerable attention in the Middle
and Eastern States, and the leading papers all
have something to say aboutit
The New York World says:
Coal is mp to ten and eleven dollars a ton.
What Is needed is for purchasers not 70 be
fools. which they are If they become purchs-
sers. Let them wait. During this weather
they can stand II as long as the companies can.
though the latter get up bogus strike every
week. For demonstration OF the exorbiAncy
OF the pr ices. look at the list OF shipments for
LAST week reading road brought down
RISE tons; on the Schuylkill canal came
Gown for the same time 31,2i0 tons; and from
Mauch Chunk, over both roads and the canal
were received last week SLID tons against
$500 OF the week preceding. The total ton
mage Of all the carrying companies last week
was 34.4i9 tons. an increase of $4,000 tons
over the week before. This 10 enough to make
prices reasonable. Let consumers only buy
for immediate need at present All the COM
are for a while they will have TO come
down."
The New York Herod thinks the price of
coal is altogether in an abnormal state and says
AT present coal ranges from nine dollars
and fifty cents to eleven dollars, retail price,
per ton-a much higher figure than ordinary
while 1T might be sold at from Il We to six dol
lars per ton, and afford at the same time very
fair profit. Such discrepancy 10 by far too
great The real cause of it m st be looked for
In an unfair combination entered into last
spring by the half dozen great coal proprietors
to keep tbs prices up at this exorbitant rate,
being well aware that coal Is not luxury bat
a necessity that must be paid for at any price.
There is only one remedy we know of, and
that is the total aboliNon Of the pal duty. 1t
is estima ted that the supply Of coal this year
will be by the beginning of December fully
SIX hundred thousand tons over the supply OF
last year, SO that if purchasers will wait they
will find that the prices must fall in a month
or two. and thus they may in part thwart the
rascality Of spectators"
The Erprsss says:
I'VE observe that the coal monopolists and
their represen tatives urge the purchase OF coal
at once, while those who are not monopolists
The coal deficiency is now only 50, 7S tons, and
the increase Of bituminous coal alone 10 350,00
tons; and the calculation is that, as shipments
will be heavy in August, there will be an in
two companies In LuZerne should remain sus-
pended during this time The increase alone
Of bituminous coal from the Cumoerl land region
will, in all probability. reach $1,000 tons u
ring the season, il a market eau be found for it,
Both of these papers and many others are
advocating the repeal OF the duties on foreign
coal. Thereupon the Philadelphia North Ameri.
can, always distinguished for its sd vocacy OF
high tariffs in order to protect the coal in
tsrests Of that State, sounds the alarm that the
combination are carrying things too far, and
says
"As we expected ana predlcsed, the press Oh
the country. without dIstinc ton of party or
section, IL out in full cry, demanding that Con-
gress shall repeal the duty on foreign coal, in
order TO put q stop TO the annual suspension OF
operations in the anthracite regions Of Penn
sylvania. We have no sympathy with the
movement. for obvious reasons. Our Interests
are all with the anthracite trade, and not n
standing that we have labored in vain to put a
STOP TO the suspensions and strikes, and to con.
vince the operators and miners that their TT ne
interest lies in securing a monopoly of the
maj ket by selling their coal at the lowest pos.
sibie prices, so as to defy competition, we shall
still deplore this repeal although we fear thai
II is now inevitable"