The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-02-11
C1TxIN.rnLL1aaNC E.
THE COAL TRADE.


The Iron Trade az Affected by tho suspen-
sioD-IsumOrs of Resumptioa-BnOrts for
Hsuer Undcra landing with tue Miners
The Complete SUMMARY for the Week.
Tue iron interests throughout the country, as
mentioned last week. are being seriously ate 'tal
by the strike, and several furnaces have besn
compelled to suspend operations. Several more
will speedily follow if aid is not Immediately
given by the miners.
There have been some s''rNt ~ y pr, th,t the
members of the w. b. a. have repeusCi Vi tlelr
rash action in refusing to let work IN tue inueS
proceed sufficiently to supply the furnaces, ana
another order is now talked of allowing par
tal resupspdon, but for the purpose OF assisting
the iron men only. 1t Is said that thts order,
fixing the time when the men may resume work
for that purpose, is to be given to-day oy the
whether reasonable or otherwise IL is dangerous
to disobey. The date, it is supposed, will be the
18th inst.
II work is not allowed the effect on both the
iron and coal trades viii be much more unples
SAINT than is expected by the majority. The
effect of stopping the furnaces will be To make
the price of domestic iron higher than that OF
iRpOrIed, even with the duty added. Imported
iron will then be used extensively, aul our
manufacta arers will have no deml0d, ana conse-
quently the furnaces cannot be started even
when 1t is otherwise possible. The entire stop
page of the furnaces will greatly affect the de
mand for coal, and thus the coal interests will
also be made to suffer
Ia this connection it may be well to mention
combination of the iron manufacturers, the carry
ing companies and the coal operators, in case OF
longer refusal to work by the miners, for the pur-
pose of breaking down entirely the working
mems organization. This, it is said, can be done
by refusal for short time by the operators 20
work the mines, by the carrying companies To
transport coal and by the iron men to continue
work. 1t Is said that the iron men are ready to
stop at any moment, on account of the uusatis-
factory condition of the trade, that
the operators can make more money by
being idle and that the carrying companies
think it to their interests to aid the movement.
While such a thing is very improbable, the end
wond be very desirable. If the movement
could be inaugurated in the manner described
the end would certainly be attained. The men
are much dissatisfied with the administration of
their trade union, and it would take but a very
little healthiul starving out to termi-
nate its existence. The union is nu.
taken altogether If it were managed with mo-
deration, it would probably be preferable to the
other evils, and would certainly be to the iute-
rests of its members. But its management has
been for some time, and now is, so extremely
bad. showing the greatest of wilful blunders
short-sightedness and sei6Shness on the part of
the leaders, that it certainly benefits nobody
not even its own members, and its speedy dissou-
ton wOuld be considered the greatest of bless
ings. Various efforts have been made during
the week TO obtain general resumption, and
several reports state that terms have been
agreed upon in various regions. In Lehigh
1t is said that the men will re-
sumo on last years basis, which can
be more easily paid there. In Wyoming the
men still hold to their offer of 81 per diamond
car, a reduction of thirty per cent. This is
but little higher than the greater reduction
offered by the company, which produced the
strike. The men will not go any lower. and the
company, after sticking at the small difference
for a long time-probably for the purpose of
upholdng its dgnity-will now most likely re-
sumo on the offer OF the men. In Shamolin the
men are willing to 20 to work at the S3 basis,
with 81 20 the lowest stopping point. A
meeting will he held in Schuylkill to-day to
take some definite action.
The meeting of operators in this city last week
did nothing of more importance thansto appoint
a committee to attend similar meeting in New
York held this week. The New York meeting
does not as yet appear to have done anything
better, it being held fof conference only.
The Chinese question again agitates the
. Schuylkill miners, one operator being reported
TO have engaged coolies to work the coming
season, said coolies now being on the way
thither. The report is very dubious. IL is not
a had move however, but should it be carried
ont there will be work for the newly organized
State militia.
The following is the complete summary of the
trade for the past week, as reported for the
Pottsville Miners Journal of to-day