New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-02-08
THE coal MARKET.

CAUSES OF THE PRESENT sTRfKE-wHY COAL Is
DEAR-THE BASIS NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. of
TIE SPRING.
The topic which is specially agitatlng the
large manufacturing companies Of the city just now
Ia the rise In the price OF coal In order 10 under
stand fully the which have led to the suspen-
sion OF work among the miners Of the anthracite re-
gOn IL will be necessary TO refer 10 the strike In Schuy
kill County in 1882 whence dates the FORMATION Of the
basis system" The necessity Of such system grew
of the OF the trade which had existed since
the close Of the war The miners in 1869, decided TO
FORM possible corporation which should insure to
them wages based upon "a tdewater price," or the
value OF the product at port open TO commerce The
war, by greatly enhancing the price OF COAL stimulated
its production TO extent far beyond the consump-
producing decline both in the prices OF coal and
the miners wages. The miners, after much discussion.
at last agreed to begin work on wages based upon an
average OF s. per tun for the six sizes OF coal Delivered
that figure they were tO make no reduction, and II
it increased they 10 have 20 per cent additional on
such advance II being clear at the opening OF 1870 That
this basis too high, meeting Of the operators was
held and basis fixed upon at 81 80 per tun delivered at
the nearest point OF rau or water rms
action was soon repudiaed by the miners IA several as
tricts, and wages on g basis were asked Thls pro
duced deadlock. four-ffths Of the miners closed
their mines finding that they would less Dy sahdlng
idle than byselling coal at - 90 and paying - OASIS
wages. .,.- la, ..o
operators the miners finally agreed to resume work on
price of coal go low q per tn ut Port Carbon
and for every 25 cents reduction wages were 10 be re-
a o ay pe 9pS n G S basis We're To- be paid on
S. III fell 10 s. basis prices were 10 be paid on " 10
new basis to make the rise and fall prices one per
cent every three cents per ton that coal rises or falls
The average price of for the five months OF 1870 after
the resumption took @R place wac a. follows; ~
FGSeP 81 reducing wages 50 e;si. . ~ per S Ssn.
For Nov s2lCO rducng wages s. bass.2i per cent
The average decline from the $ basis for the five
months was little above is per cent maIu.g t la
weekly %ages, dung 'n and pol nfse laborers 50 H.
Such the effect Of the strike upon the miners ID
schuylk County, and this was the origin OF the oasis
system" which the Lehigh and Luzerne miners were III
duced to support -..,-.- .u. .,o, ~ tho
Pennsylvania Coal Companys mines had increased from
30 cents as high 81 Is per This Company worked
prices in the market only warranted co cents This rate
it felt by both miners and operators coud not pe
no complaints upon the first reduction Of IS cents or 10
rs cents per un. II was again announced tat on DEE
TO- the would be further reduced u about Go cen
and the morning OF that day 40 miners presented
themselves for work mere nae a. yf Goon The men
have not asked for any advance but merely refuse 10
In this CITY the effect on the companies and the large
coal dealers generally has been 10 render business ices
sivey dull. The companies sustaining their offices
from their sinking fund and patiently awaiting some
final decision on the part Of the miners. 49,, -,
presidents was the Office Of the Delaware Lacka
and Western RAILROAD Company la'li
20 talk the subject OF the strike and TO consult TO-
geher as best solution Of the troubles. TheeWer
Mr.. GOWan President or the Reading fafOdu
Judge Packer President OF the Lehlgh valley kaIOad;
Mr.. Dickson of the Delaware ana Hudson Cahal tOm
pany Mr.. Even of the Pennsylvania Coal Company
Mr.. Sloan Of the Delaware, LackaWaina, ana western
Railroad Mr. Clarke President OF the lehlgh Navigation
COMPANY, and Mr.. Borden OF the tOa Operators Asso
citation Of Philadelphia. No practical conclusions were
arrived The losses incurred by the companies ana by
the railroads by idle mines and by lack OF freight were
discussed at length The Delaware and Hudson Canal
claimed TO be losing about s25O,UO per
Tha nffigg ar
wanna, and Western Railroad Company state that
they have not produced any coal since DecemDr4 Ihey
reduced their the LIST of the MONTH and the Dea
and Hudson, and pennsylvania Coal companies on
the Otn The Secretary stated that the increase IN price
to since the strike had been y 80 per tun BY
the cargo coal to-day commands the following prices
Chestnut, 81; stove - 80; Egg, Crate, ana
Lump IL that there is steamboat coal in
the market except about 1900 uns stored at HObOken
hut which is not offered. At the last monthly auction
sale Of the Lackawanna Company coal sold by the cargo
for 81 and the Secretary claimed that these
had nothing whatever to do with the strike tnat
for three the coal trade had been paying
poorly i'm proportion TO the capital employed and
that the Company had PAID 10 miners III the caefs as
high as 800 per month.
The agent i'm this city, of the Pennsylvania Coal Com
pany states that the coal trade like all others, IL gov
erned by the law OF supply and demand. He regards
the present troubles owing entirely TO the large num-
miners. During the late war the prices pa1 Tor
labor were high that old miners secured situations for
their boys either shaienders or drivers Iey cOuu
thus 81 to u per day while in any other trade
they would only command from - To 50 per week. This
has raised up race OF miners, which, IN addition
10 all the adult aceessOns, has created OVerpus OF
laborers The eject OF rise in has boon TO bring
the business and thus To render their
situation If all who are now out OF employment
were work at once coal would go down so low
that companies could not afford 10 SELL The total
supply OF Anthracite sent to market Ill 1869 and 1870 was
AZ