The New York herald., 1872-10-05
CARRYING COAL 70 NEWCASTLE.
An Interview with q Newcastle
Coal Dealer.
Ths Reasons for the Scarcity Of Coal in England
The Msn Want werk- Disastrous Effect Upon
The Iron Worh-Many Ruined-A Proba-
bio 1tagnation in Industry Through
sut Kngland-Hew We Nay Inn
prove ths Opportunity
The Gas Question.

moment, taken In connection Win eno PioS0"s
hiRh prices which prevail In this COMMONLY IN
the present market. The causes OF 'ne nigh
prioes OF coal in the British Isles are but I'M
perfectly understood here at present. HERALD
reporter had an interview recently with Mr.. O. J.
Cspper, OF the Arm Of Rennoldsen & Capper, OF
Newcastle -on-Tyne, the great coal centre OF Eng
land. Mr.. Capper Is In New York at the present
moment on business connected with his hrm, ana
he made some statements which are entirely new
here, and which are OF SUFFICIENT Importance that
they show that this country may be either great
rainer or loser by the coal famine which prevails
In England at present. The gst OF the interview
Ia as follows;-
RHPoRTER-What are your ideas of the coal
famine in England at present, and to what do you
attribute the high prices which preyailS
Mr.. CAPPER-These causes are but mperfectly
understood, l see, In America. 1t is not that I'VE
do not possess plenty OF coal In England for we
hsve enough to last us yet hundreds of years.
Some years ago a Parliamentary commission was
sent TO investigate the subject, which then re-
ported that England need not fear want of coal
for hundreds OF years to come. But since then
there have been discovered
MANY COAL FIELDS.
which were not known OF at the time the commits
sn ssss an 1s o Me
market.
labor.
Mr. CArpER-Yes. We have plenty OF men to
operate cur mines but these men viii not work.
Iatterly tiey have fallen into the habit OF working
short hours, and nothing seems to be able TO in
duce them to do their proper quantum OF labor.
Thus the men are satisfied when they work on an
average four and hall hours day. Some DAYS
they knock or altogether and on other days they
greater @ than In have % put they seem see TO be SATISFIED
when they have just enough 10 support themselves
and their families, and don't seem to care TO earn
kEroRrER-what wages do these men earns
MI. CArrER-At their present rate OF work about
they might make as nigh as
FIFTEEN sHiILINGS DAY,
but they don't seem to care 10 earn the remainder
Their unions have IN some forbidden them TO
40 full work Thus, you win see only about one
hall the coal is produced which Is wanted, and the
price has been advanced from seven and slxpence
ton to twenty-five shlings which is the price at
present.
REPonrER-And can no persuasion make these
Mr.. CappER-None. Perhaps finally, when there
1s . reaction in consequence OF this coal famine,
things VIII change. our markets cannot suffer for
any length OF time the severe competition from
foreign manufacturers and the consequence VIII
be strong reaction In all the trade and period OF
dulness, during which the miners will probably be
glad OF the opportunity OF employment when
KEPORTER-How does this scarcity of coal afrect
manufactures
Mr.. CApPEa-very seriously, of course. The
IRON TRADE HAS SUFFERED
partfcularly--sO much so that many iron men will
be undoubtedly ruined. In some cases tine ioundres
comes down to It's old price. These men have had
contracts at low prtces which now they are unable
Other m sre ao o e G cUa
though perhaps, not to such an extent as the iron
men.
where to work the mines
Mr. OAPFER-The thing was attempted by the i'm
pOrtation oi some CORNISH miners, short time
since, INTO the Newcastle colieries; but IL was
found they did not do the same work did
North country miners, and the attempt was aban-
REroRrER-How will the scarcity OF coal in Eng
land anect our market
lars, but not to any appreciable extent, think.
THE TRANSATLANTIC STEAMERS
wifi have to coal somewhere else besides England;
that H. lOr the voyage back Hitherto the low price
OF coal on the other side has made 1t worth their
while carrying coal both for the voyage ont and back
again, to, the exclusion OF freight. But now that
coal Is so high on the other side they Will, doubt,
purchase their coal here Tor the voyage back, and
use the space IN their holds hitherto devoted to coal
for resnt which will pay them about fifteen
RErORrER-But is our anthracite coal as fit for the
purpose as tine English bituminous coal
MT vt ate nGsr 80 goSa nae Ehgs
more heat. The Allen Line to Canaua has Deen In
the habit lor some time past ofbuyng intercoonial
coal In Nova Scotia, but an engineer told me that
he found he could not get the speed with 1t that he
did with the English coal.
REP0RfER-This must be great disadvantage in
consequence of the COST
Mr.. CAprER-Of course it is, when applied to
PASSENGER STEAMSHIPS,
and there has been great deal OF grumDling about
It, But the coal can be used for freight ships very
WELL which do not require speed OF more than
seven or eight knots an hour.
REPORTER-You believe, then, that we may profit
by this scarcity OF coal in Enyand2
Nj: CAlPER-ies. certainly. But on the other
hand, you Will suiier perhaps in your gas. The
American gas works have been In the habit OF im-
porting enormous quantities OF coal nom England.
The English coal Is remarkable for its richness and
the gas companies have found that they get great
deal more coke from 1t than from the American
bituninous coal. Coke, find, IN the scarcity
which prevails here in fuel is very valuable arti-
Gle, and or course they will suffer loss in this
respect. The duty on English coal, which was 81 20
per ton, has been reduced to 76 cents, but that VIII
not help matters much now 1t Is literally fmpos-
sibe ior us to supply
at the rates you have been paying US, and, indeed,
the trade has ceased. This, OF course, will de-
But 10 Is question whether they VIII he able to
supply for any length OF time the great demand
there wona i,.. ne upon mem IN tnat case the gas
price oi gas must he greatly enhanced. But at any
rate, as lar as English coal Is concerned for gas
purposes the trade mas literally ceased at present.
In iact, don't believe there has been any English
coal imported nere Tor that purpose during the
past six months.
KEPoRTEH-Is the high pricc of coal of any bene-
ut to the English mine owners?
Mr.. CAPPER-Not the slightest. They are ell
under contract to supply the gas companies. These
contracts were made when coal was at q low
figure 50 that the mine owners make no more than
they did before. When these contracts are out IL
will be different. but at present
THEY EXHAUST THE MINES
OF ali they can produce. doubt II you were TO go
to any mine owner In the vicinity OF Newcastle
and were to offer him twenty-five shiliings for his
coal whether he would lie able to let You have a
single ton OF IL. 1t Is not only hign priced but Ii
Is remarkably scarce even at the high price.
Many oil the mine owners are backward with their
contracts as IL is and can't get tine labor to fill
them though there is plenty OF coal all about New
castle still. When mine is sunk down and shafts
are run out for some two three miles under
ground they generally ind IL cheaper TO sink
another pit than to drag II over tramways at the
bottom Tor SO great distance. And there Is
always found plenty whenever they dig for Ii.
RRPORTER--but is Newcastle tue only place where
Goa! IL In abundance
Mr.. CArPER-Oh, no. Coal has recently been dis
covered in Nottinghamshirc and in the midland
counties But
TIE SAME TROUBLE
exists there with the miners. In the North the
noal auiu M ax ua M Eirlr