The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1875-07-21

within fifteen or more cents bushel.
In Pittsburg the talk of Scoal kings and
coal rings is not heard OF, but how bitter
is the complaint about such things in
Cincinnati and below. Often the coal is
held there on speculation, occasionally y
all that is in the market, during seasons
of drought, until it's value doubles and
trebles, or until the weather prophet at
Morgantown or Oil City telegrapns some
thing about 'tin cup full of rain,' or
says something that will give the spec.
ulator advice some days in advance oi
"a coal boat rise coming The river men
have never shown, as class, much In
terest in river improvements, as is con-
spicuously demonstrated. by their aD-
sence from meetings and conventions
called for the purpose. They are not yet
alive to the threatened danger of rivalry
| from new coal fields below us."
The writer has told the entire story in
these few lines. In the past we have
been under the control, to at least GER
tain extent, of coal monopolists, and de-
pendent upon the fortunes OF the weather
and the consequent stages of the river
for our annual supply of coal. More
over we have been obliged to support in
idleness the capital and at least por-
tion OF the labor which transports the
coal to us, for several months out of the
year. OF the three thousand barges and
the large number of towboats running
in the coal trade while the river 10 high,
almost the entire number are laid up
from June till October, and large pro-
portion much longer. The result is that
the consumers OF this region are obliged
to repay them for the loss of time when
they employ them to transport their fuel
during the winter.
The remedy for this Is, as already in
timated, thorough development of the
coal producing fields of this State and of
those below us. Indiana has coal fields
as yet unworked, which Will compare
,favorably with those of our own State.
The experiments of the past year show
that the production of our mines may be
even more cheaply delivered than those
of Pennsylvania, and thus not only put
us on an independent footing, but make
the regions below US tributary to our in
dustries for their needed supply of fuel.
Another advantage which will accrue
from this movement, if carefully followed
up, is the Improvement of the Ohio river.
AS intimated by the writer quoted
above, a certain class of river men have
failed to support-any movement looking
toward the Improvement Of the xiver, on
the double grounds that locks and dams
would prove detriment to the passage
Of coal fleets, and that as the country
below was dependent upon the Pennsyl-
vania regions for coal, it could thus be
forced into supporting the boats and
boatmen III ldleness during part Of the
year for the sake of their services dur
ing the remainder. In this they have
been supported by the coal monopolists
at both ends OF the route, who are better
enabled to speculate upon the peoples
needs by the present condition of the
river and its coal trade.
The results of the increase of the Ohio
coal products may then be of vast i'm.
portance to us in bringing about united
movement in favor of the Improvement
of the river, natures highway, and as
such and as a defensive movement
against monopolists and one in favor OF
home industries, should be encouraged
in every way.