The New York herald., 1871-02-24
NEW HAVEN.
from tIle New

From The New Haven Register Feb. 2.l
Coal Is up TO eleven dollars, with prospect of 90
Ing higher. Consumers are not In "a very pleasant
state OF mind, ana there Is disposition to find a,t
with everybody connected with the business. As lie
origin OF the coal famine, which now threatens 10
become serious, does not seem to be generally un-
lelstood, we propose to give briei history OF the
difficulty.
At tie start It should be understood that the CAPT
tai and machinery now employed IN mining anthra-
cite COAL n worked to Its fun capacity. would pro
duce nearly twice much coal az the country de-
mands. AT least, production Is greatly IN excess OF
consumption. IL therefore follows that when the
mines are In full operation coal accumuates. ii Is so
bulky that H. requires great outlay to store IL. AS the
quantity on hand Increases the prCe decreases until
II reaches point where 1t IS Improbable 10 mime It,
Vlen wages are cut down and the miners get UP
strike. Tue price OF coal then advances until IL
reaches an exorbltant prlce, when work Is resumed,
and ihe operation is repeated again and a9aln.
About GW0 years ago an effort was made by the
managers OF leading company 10 check the evil OF
carrying companies, In which IL was proposed that
q nIed pro rata quantity ol coal should be mined
~ eaeh department. oI the anthrarle region uuthg
The year, the aggregate To be no more than ample
estimate Tor toe consumption oi the country during
that period. This pruaent measure was defeated By
mutual lealousles which II was found Impossible 10
allay and, after several SESSIONS, lhe parties aepa-
rated, TO plunge into an excessive aud eE u.otlve
production, which Immediately Knocked coal Gown
neow tne cost Of mining and transporting, thus en-
lofcing reduction OF wages ana long ain ruinous
strike.
Then the Worknemen's Benevolent Association
took hand In this game. A unon was formed, IN
Guiding all Alnera. II has u membership OF atty
"
various counties. The plan ot tins association Was
10 propose to receive a OASIS OF WAGES upon the
pTlee OF coal, with The understanding that wncn the
I price sank below SUI tulated pont the WORKING
mems Benevolent Association should Announce, not
strike, but SuSpeiisln ot work. uutll Gne market
couid advance. All of the county associations with
only one exception agreed To HS the limit aI 81 30
per ton az Port Carbon. SchuylkIl county i'll sred
that the point oil suspension should be three dollars;
that Is that work al the mines should be suspended
when coal reached three doars. The men were
wlilig it Is said, TO resume WORK the 50 so basis,
and IN several INSTANCES went into the mines, bug
were forced 10 stop work through lear OF personal
violence. A few small companies actually COM
menced work last Tuesday on tie basis prepared -
the miners
AT this point The Carrying companies interfere.
They have raised the tolls for transportation irom
$2 10 to 81 10, TO prevent the wages which m9nt he
paid by these companies from reaching the mines.
The advance is meant 10 be pfonibory, and, as the
vance. Ihese carrying companies say tnlt tney nave
been idle, OWING 20 strikes anI suspensions about
hall OF the past year. ana hey insist that some basis
shall be reached winch VIII prevent both and give
them steady business the year round.
This 49, as we understand, the exploration OF
tolls from Wilkesbarre 10 Eizabethport. over
the Lehigh Valley and Lehigh and S,i5quenanua
Railroads, had been raised 10 81 ~ per ton. The
Reading Railroad has made corresponding advance
IN Its relghs, having more than doubled them. The
Delaware and. HUDSON Canal Company, tue Pennsyl-
vania Coal Company and The Delaware, Lackiwanna
and Western Railroad companies have agreed, on
their part, to not to resume work even at the re-
duced prices Tor labor that they offered last Decem
Der until the questions at Issue are settled Mean
Eent risk OF a coal famine more terrible than any
which they have previously endured. Nothing but i
speedy settlement OF this to the kne between
capital and l.tDor can prevent IL.