The New York herald., 1874-01-13
THE COAL INTERESTS.
Causes Of Increase in the Demand-Ths Cspa.
bilities Of supply-The Combinations and
Consultations - Their Effects The
Labor Question for lS74-Bitu.
minous Coal = Statistics,


In the report OF the President ana Managers Of
the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Company
to the stockholders for 1873 IL was estimated that
the increase In the production of coal for that year
would be 100000 tons, or about Is per cent
This was based on the continued activity OF the
iron trade. the extension OF railroads. ana the
high prices in England, which induce owners
OF steamships between the United States and
Europe to purchase here. To this was the added
fact that the low price OF coal in 1872 had intro
duced 1t as competitor OF wood In those districts
where t had not been before used, 1t being well
known that where the appliances for burning an
thrace are once introduced 1t is not apt to be dis
placed. The operations at the opening OF the year
went far to justify this estimate. But the panic
which followed reduced the work OF the manulac-
tories to large extent, and correspendngly the
demand for coal, so that, according to the Miners
Journal, OF Pottsvle, the
SUPPLY OF ALL KINDS
to the 1st OF January, as far as the returns had
been received. foOts up 22,549,9ss TONS against
2l,162. 73l tons to corresponding week last year
showing an excess over 1872 Of 1,356,637 tons, Of
which 861 9l2 are anthracite and 526, 725 bitumn-
Gus. Again, large fortunes were made in this
commodity during the war, which prompted capi-
tasts to invest in its production to an unusual
extent and the result was a possibly abnormal
increase. 1t IS, however, considered that the
natural and steady increase resulting from more
extended population, and the results which nat
urally flow from it, is from six to ten per cent.
The report to which allusion has been made says
that the statistics show that for ordinary purposes
OF domestic life 1t requires one ton of coal per
annum for each member OF the community, using
it as q fuel; but where centres OF manufacturing
industry or lake shipping ports are opened by new
lines OF railway the consumption per inhabitant
greatly exceeds that quantity. With all the de-
mands made upon the coal regions in the present
and prospective, as thus explained, the
CAPABILITIES OF PRODUCTION
and the only questions likely to AFFECT the con.
Svmer for some time to come are those OF labor
SO much importance to the great bulk of the people
that anything Affecting 1t stirs the public pulse at
once. and reports OF combinations between the
railroad and mining companies or consolidation OF
number Of the latter excite interest and anxiety.
A prominent coal dealer yesterday in converse
ton with HERALD reporter stated that the ten
deDcy OF late years had been towards consolidation
on the part Of the great companies, and while this
placed great power in their hands and tended to
the suppression Of the merchants. In other
days days when mining was carried carried, ON BY
companies, they could not wen afford
to have their offices and agents in the large cen
tres OF population, and the coal was consigned to
tue merchants, while the large companies transact
for themselves the business once connded TO him.
extent as possible the middle men, those who
stand between the producer and the consumer.
to the benefit Of the latter. AS stated in recent
report in the HERALD, the combination between
the railroad and mining companies may place
THE CONSUMER AT THEIR MERCY
whenever they choose to exercise their power, but
1t is expressly disclamed that there is any other
intent than to keep their employees, machinery,
rolling stock, &C., steadily employed and in order
to accomplish this to equalze the demand through.
out the year. AS was then stated the average
price at tidewater Is IS 65, and no advance will
take place before 1t falls to the legitimate spring
price.
As the HERALD reporter was yesterday informed,
the companies In the Lehign Valley region have
made the same arrangement with the miners as
for 1873. In the Schuylkill region the miners are
on general strike, they having refused the prOpo-
dcatiOn Of the contract or 1873 and providing for
reduction or advance according to the prices Of
coal
= BrruMNoUs COAL
The great mass OF bituminous coal used in this
country, as is well known, is produced iced from the
tending from the Pennsylvania state line across
Alleghany county, Maryland, into Hampshire
20 miles In length. gentleman who for more
than rs years has been entrusted in the mining of
this coal, yesterday furnished q reporter OF the
HERALD the following particulars. he said :-"Our
COAL as you know, Is very little used tor domestic
Is n n %s hns
It can be obtained cheaper than anthracite, 1t is
OF course, used, but to no extent here. The win
that varies very little throughout the year. Indeed
our trade Is not subject to the fluctuations that
the anthracite is The price in different localities
OF course, varies in proportion to the expense in
getting it there Our coal is taken to Georgetown
and Alexandria, through the Chesapeake and Ohio
Canal. or to Baltimore and Amboy by the Balt-
more and Ohio Railroad. The policy OF the latter
has been to make
NO CHANGE IN THEIR TARIFF
from year to year, and 80 we know what to depend
on. The rates on the canal were raised five cents
last year, but 1t was a blunder, as was shown by
the fact that while the railroad carried more than
on the previous year, the canal carried iess.0
'The field Is practically inexhauStble, Is 1t not?''
asked the reporter.
.We by no means 80 consider it. 1t is estimated
that every million tons eXhaustS 100 acres of
land. Last year there was taken out 2674 900 TONS
exhausting 267 acres 1t is calculated that there
so you can Judge pretty accurately how long the
supply will last. The rate OF increase for the past
few years-indeed, for many years-has been very
the aggregate was l717o75 tons; 1871, 2,345. 1853;
1872, 1855, All: 1s73, 1874, ,101."
t,s You supply all the oresn steamers going out of
"Yes, their boilers are intended for the bitumin-
ous coal OF England, and the price there has be-
sible on this side. 1t has increased our business,
OF course, but the price has not been at all ad-
van, vanced on that account as the supply has kept
on coal from the British Provinces he said 1--we
are indifferent to it now Formerly the efforts OF
New England men who, though generally in favor
OF nigh tariffs, advocated Tree coal, as they used
1t extensively in their factories, annoyed US a
good deal; but we do not care ior the tariff now.
for many years, under the Reciprocity treaty-is
highly suphurous and so inferior to our coal and
cannot compete with u.s."
"D0 you anticipate that bituninous coal Will
ever become the rival OF anthracteT'
mo; each has its work to perform and does 1t
we'll There IS no danger OF that-at least in this
day and generation.n
SUNDAV LAW VlOy ATORs IN xruApU