Connecticut western news., 1874-01-23
The Coal Trade.

The increase in the coal trade for the year 1873, says the Pottsville Miners Journal, will be in the neighborhood of 900, 900 tons of anthracite, and about 600, 900 tons in the supply of bituminous coal moved toward the seaboard, mak- ing the increase for the year, in round numbers, about 1, ,5OO,OOO tot1s. Con- sidering the tightness in the money market that prevailed during the whole year, followed by the crash; the increase is larger than we anticipated as the season progressed, but not so large as we supposed it would be at the begin ming of the year, before the depressed state of the financial affairs had been fully indicated. Had the business of the country continued as active as it was at the close of 1872, the market would have taken at least 2,OOO, 900 tons increase in anthracite alone.
 The coal trade, we believe, was the only branch of business of any magni- tude that continued to increase weekly during the panic, and the prices were not only maintained but advanced 20 cents per ton after the panic had com- menced. And we may also state that so far as the miners and laborers em- ployed at the collieries are concerned, it has been one of the most prosperous, as they received good wages on the basis adopted, and they had more regu- lar work throughout the year than in former years. The operators complain that their profits are not sufficient to pay fair percentage on the capital invested in tho business, 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 sufficient profit to the operator. The employees on the other hand seem disposed to resist any reduction of the basis of 1873, and are willing to con- tinue it 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 basis of prices arranged, which were to govern the trade for the year, and which were strictly adhered to throughout the year, the companies having only dropped an advance of 10 cents for the month of October, which they proposed making, but did not after the panic commenced. The trade also increased during the panic, and the heaviest weekly increase was made during that period; and even for the last week the trade shows an in- crease of nc less than 115, ,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 of last spring, made an average advance of 35 cents per ton, the retail price of coal is as low to-day in the cities as it was last year at this season, and in some instances lower. This is caused mainly by les sening the expenses in 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 arrangement 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 fuel during the year, and can make their contracts accordingly.