The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-03-11
CITxINTELLIGEN NCE.
THE COAL TRADE.

Coal LesisIatIon-yhe Use of Bltuminsus
OeaI--ArbItrarIon-rbe suGerinas AmspE the
nlihers-rhe Compiete Tonnage for the
On Thursday last the State House of Repre-
sentatives considered the subject of the coal
difficulties. A bill was presented regulating the
rates of freights per mile for the carrying COM
panies; forbidding ali but very low charges; re-
quiring the companies to transport from all
collieries on their lines; making 1t absolutely
necessary for them to furnish a sufficient num-
Der of cars to meet all demands; and inhcting
heavy damages for violations. concluding
section, however, exempts from the require
ments of the bill all companies having special
charters for the transportation of coal This
section shows that the bill does not begin to
cover the ground that 1t appears to, as all the
large companies have such special charters.
n But If il did so cover the ground, the bill is
very foolish in many particulars legislature
man, who is said also to be practical miner
spoke in favor of the bill, and said that it would
answer the purpose admirably, aud that 1t was
Just what the miners wanted. This latter is very
probably so, but IL is not just what the companies
want. The rates of freights are entirely too
ow, for thing, and will not pay fair interest
on the capital invested. If the bill were passed
and submitted to, it would not better the situa-
tion, for the companies would not work. But If
passed 1t would never be enforced even upon the
companies which it would affect who would
never submit to it.. 1t would only lead to ex-
tended and expensive litigation.
1t was very justly said by one member in the
debate upon the bill that capital had rights as
IL
another that a bill ought to be framed which
took more into account party more interested
than either miner, operator, or carrying COM
pany, but whose interests were never consi-
dered In the least, namely, the public.
A rich item of the bill was the one requiring
the company to furnish sufficient number of
cars to meet all demands. 1t might be urged
upon the attention of the Legislature that the
rolling stock of the company is one of its prin-
cipal items of expense In order 10 furnish cars
in unlimited numbers when required, it is neees-
sary to have plenty of money. In case the COM
pany might happen to be poor one, this might
not be forthcoming. The Legislature might DOS
sibly be brought to see the chance of this situa-
tion and make special exception for such
cases. as they have done in the case of all the
large companies whose charters render them
independent of the bill. They might, in the
magnanimity of their hearts, even go so far as
to make provision for such companies out of the
State funds, for more unlikely deeds than that
have been done at Harrisburg.
The bill, however such as it is did not get
further than to pass through the Committee of
the Whole without amendment or opposition.
Its consideration was postponed until Thursday
next, when, possibly, more may be heard of il.
Nothing further of Importance has been done
looking towards resumption except what has
been already noticed. The arbitration principle is
however, beginning to be somewhat popular with
the leaders of the miners, who referred the
question back to the men for their approval, but
refuse to let them have any voice in the choice
of arbitrators. This would amount to no arbi-
tration at all, as the decisions of the man or
men chosen would not be at all popular in any
case, and therefore without power, 80 that as it
now stands no action whatever has been taken
The present suspension has had the effect of
bringing bituminous and semi-bituminous coal
largely into use for purposes for which, hereto
lore, anthracite only has been employed. Seve-
raj manufacturing establishments are using the
newer article, and it is said that the Lehigh VAL
ley and the North Pennsylvania Railroad Com
panies are now burning btuminous coal in
nearly all their locomotives. AS consequence
of this movement, the tonnage in this variety
has largely increased.
There is now much distress among the mining
community, and among the men thrown out of
employment by reason of the strike, all that
may be said to the contrary Notwithstanding.
This distress is much more than any which was
predicted would come upon the consumers by
reason of q coal famine The suffering is
really in many cases extreme. Such being the
case, the heartlessness of the leaders is of kind
bordering upon the fiendish, especially for those
of Schuylkill. In that region the men have a
liberal offer from the carrying companies and
operators, much more liberal than they deserve
by far. This offer has been deliberately refused
and it is to be hoped that the operators and
companies will now take advantage of that fact
and demand the dissolution of the power of the
Union. This was demanded in the first place.
but was afterwards conceded, except in what
might be supposed from the very mild clause
at the end of the offer.
TIE offer to the Lehgh men states very ex-
plicitly what is required of the W. B. A. In the
future. This offer has likewise been rejected;
but il is sincerely hoped that its proposers will
hold to it, and that the operators of Schuylkill
will make a similar arrangement. Nothing
short of this Cat least that all interference with
the government of collieries by the w. B. A.
must be done away with) will result in any per-
manently satisfactory arrangement.
The following is the complete summary of the
trade for the past week, reported for the
Pottsville Miners Journal of to-day
1870. 1871.