Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1870-09-15
CORRESPONDENCE.
STATE OF THE TRADE-MoRE CONSOLIDATION
PROPOSED.


STATE OF THE TRADE-MoRE CONSOLIDATION
PROPOSED.
Correspondence Of he Commercial
FRosrBuRe, Allegahy Co., Md.
September 10th, 1870.
In my last letter, made certain statements in
relation to slack trade, as to the truth of which
the Baltimore american seems to have doubts.
have investigated, ard find that did not not
overstate the dullnets of trade in the least.
Take all the companies of this region, ascertain
the amount of coal each Company is capable
Of loading, and we will find that the actual
amount shipped, falls far short of one half the
capability 1 doubt that it will exceed one third.
estimated that the Maryland Coal Company
was capable of loading 1900 tons per day. 1t can
readily load 1000 tons; this was, think, the
only error in my statement. There are rumors
of a more extensive consolidation of the Com
panes. 1t has been proposed to consolidate
the g Borden" Consolidation Maryland"
" Midlothian" " American. +" Georges Creek"
and other Companies into one large Company.
This, the miners and employees are bitterly OPP
posed to.
The only argument, have heard, in favor of
this scheme is economy in salaries. Each Com
pany now has one man at each stable i'll charge
have, in addition, man as Superintendent or
overseer of all the stables of the consolidated
company.
There will have to be an extra stable,a kind of
horse hospital to which all crippled horses, or
those unfit for duty will be sent. This Superin-
tendent's duty will consist in seeing that all
horses sent to this stable, receive the proper
care, keeping up his stock of serviceable horses
| at each mine Also, each company now has a
| resident Superintendent to conduct the business
of the mine, with salary varying from about
| $1,000 to $4,000 per year.
1t il proposed, in case of consolidation, to
abolish this office of resident Superintendent,
having one man to superintend the whole.
| This will throw great power into the hands of
the company, enabling them to control all IT.
regularities such as strikes ETC., and the miners
think it will result largely to their disadvantage.
| / think that the strongest argument urged
| against consolidation lis the unweildlyness of
| such a mammoth concern. A coal mine
must be worked in the most economical
manner, or the profit will be very small.
| Now, no one man can directly superintend the
| workings of SO many mines, and many small ex-
| penses, (Which amount to considerable in a
| year, that were lessened, or entirely saved by
| the direct supervision of the resident Superin-
| tendent, will probably be entirely overlooked by
the clerks or Bosses, who must necessarily,
at times, he left in charge, and it is thought by
| many persons, that more will be lost by their
ineompetency than can be saved on salaries.
| Trade continues very dull, and much suffering
may be expected, during the coming winter,
| among the improyident miners, who live for the
present, having mo thought for the morrow y
| Several robberies have been committed near this
place recently. and more may be expected. by
the Christmas holidays, | imagine, travelling
about the mountains after dark will be anything
| but pleasant DoRE.