New-York tribune., 1874-01-16
TROUBLE IN THE coal REGIONS.

The business of furnishing the public with
anthracite coal is now IA monopoly. The pro-
ducers fix the price ut which they will sell,
and the public have the choice of paying 1t
or doing without the article. The producers
are able to do this because they are few III
number and have formed combination.
We shall not here discuss the question
whether coal is or is not selling at
an exorbitant price, or whether the
coal and transportation companies are or are
not making exorbtant profits. We simply say
that ii is much to be regretted that the sup
ply of so important an article as anthracite
coal is now under the absolute control OF the
managers of five great corporations and that
there is no reason to suppose that III the eX-
ercse of the great power which they have
succeeded in grasping the interests of the cor
porations will be subOrdinated TO those of the
public.
Unfortunately for consumers of coal, ser-
GUS dispute has arisen in the Schuylkil region
in regard to the adjustment OF wages for the
year 1874. In that region the miners have
been paid for their labor at rates which varied
with the wholesale price of coal at Port Car
bon. For every three cents rise in the price
have been increased one per cent above
"bass" rates. For instance, should the price
have risen to So so, the wages would be in
creased ten per cent. The price has been
ascertained once month from the
sales of the leading operators. During
the year just ended the minimum OF
wages has been the rate, varying at
different colleries. which corresponded with
So so. A decline in the price of coal
below 81 so brought with it no reduc-
ton OF wages. The point now in dispute is
the proposition of President Gowan and the
operators to have the wages fall with coal
down to a minimum corresponding with ~ 2j
per ton at Port Carbon. This, it will be
seen, involves a possible reduction of wages
10 the extent of eight per cent.
But according to the programme of the
combined companies, which has already been
announced. coal cannot fall below 50 so per
ton at Port Carbon for more than two or three
months commencing with March next, so that
the matter really involved is reduction of
two or three per cent on the years wages,
affecting the cost of a ton of coal by the in
finitesimal sum of less than two cents. Ii does
not seem to us that the operators will be justified
in precipitating a contest with the miners over
such a trife.
We need hardly take the trouble to remind
the reader that, under the existing arrange
ments. the consumers pay the cost of these
strikes. 1t is quite true that no immediate
rise in the price of coal over the rates estab-
lished by the combination will follow the suS-
pension of mining, the markets being now
fully stocked and the demand slack, as
usual at thisI season of the year. II
is. however, impossible for the com
bnatiOn to insure the public against
a rise above the rates proposed for nexi
March and April, should there be a general
suspension of mining lasting several months
monopoly may keep prices up as it did
! through the panic when natural prepondcr-
ance of supply over demand would in a freely
| supplied market force them down. but il can
not keep prices down when the demand
80 exceeds the supply that people are
willing to pay more than the mon0p-
oily price rather than do without the
article. We sincerely trust that at the meeting
to morrow of the representatives. of the miners
and operators the latter will abandon their
attempt to secure petty reduction vi wages,