The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-01-04
ing week last year. increase for the week. sa,ass

tons. ''' '"' "eeA' S'']'s
The quantity sent for the week from all the re-
glons, including the supplies via Phladelphla ana
Reading and Lehigh Valley roads, foots up 2ss sss
TONS anthracite and 49, 97s tons otuminOus- Tor tho
Week 26I64o tons against 1852 tons for the cor
5Sa week last year. Increase for the week,
The whole supply IRON the regions embraced in
our tapie or 1873 so tar is q o5I tons against
q, l52543 ior the corresponding period last year.
Increase o7 los tons, of when s43 254 tons Is an
thracite, and o63,s54 tons btuminous.
The increase for the year will be in the neighbor.
hood OF tons oil anthracite and about 600 900
tons in the supply OF bituminous coal moved to-
WARD the seaoodru, making the increase for the
year. IN round numbers, about 500 900 tons. Con-
siderng the tightness III the money market that
prevailed during tue Whole year. followed by the
crash, the increase Is larger than we anticipated
as the season Progressed, but not so large as we
supposed 1t would be at the beginning Of the year.
before the depressed state oil the financial affairs
had been FUZZY indicated. Had the business OF the
country continued as active as 1t was at the close
oo do oo tne market would have taken at least
Z0Uo, ooo tons increase in anthracite alone.
Inc coal trade, We believe, was the only branch
OF business OF any magnitude that continued to
were not only maintained but advanced 20 cents
per ton after the panic had commenced And we
NAY aiso state that SO lar as the miners and
1t has been one OF the most prosperous as they
received good wages on the basis adopted, and
they had more regular work thrOupbOut the wear
than IN former years. The Operators complain
that their profits are not SUFFICIENT to nav a fair
percentage on the capital invested in the businesA
IN other words the prices paid for contract work
are too high in the arrangement Of the basis. and
that too much goes to the employees without sui.
fcient profit to the operator. The empOyes on
the other hand seem disposed to resist any re.
ducton OF the basis OF 1873, and are willing 70
continue 1t for 1874.
But, taking all IN all, the coal trade was rescued
from and made profitable in defiance OF the panic
by the thorough organization that existed between
the associated companies and the oasis Of prices
arranged, which were to govern the trade TOR the
year, and which were strictly 1hered to throughout
the year, the companies having only dropped an
advance of 10 cents Tor the month of October
which they proposed making, but did not after the
panic commenced. The trade also increased dur
ing the panic. and the heaviest weekly increase
was made during that period; and even for the
last week the trade shows an increase OF no less
than lis, 264 tons over the corresponding week Of
last year.
Notwithstanding the advance in the price Of
coal OF 10 cents per month, amounting to 70 cents
during the season, from the opening prices last
spring, made an average advance OF IS cents per
ton, the retail price OF coal is low to-day IN the
cities rs it was last year at this season, and in
some instances lower. This Is caused manly by
lesSening the eXpeDse3Sn handling and selling the
coal in the cities SO well has the organization
worked in Keeping the trade regular, while at the
same time they maintained regular prices to the
consumers generally, and the better the arrange
ment becomes understood by the people the more
popular will it become among the retail dealers
in coal and to the consumers, and particularly to
large manufacturers, who Will know what prices
they will be compelled to pay for their luel during
the year, and can make their contracts accord
tngly