The New York herald., 1875-09-18
THE COAL QUESTION.


PEcTs OF THE wINTER-THE STATISTICS OF
COAL PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION.
curt line in statistical article informs ne that
"he advance in coal for September is fifteen cents per
ton higher than in August"
This is not much, truly but IL shows the tendency
toward an advance in price, and disposition feel the
market by observing il this rise so early in the season.
will be patiently submitted to by retail buyers, or if
GALES will fall on II an advance Of fifteen cents per ton
in September is quietly accepted what viii the price be
by the 1st Of NovemberP
In the course OF conversation with an agent Of one
of the great lines bringing coal to the vicinity OF New
York. he stated that there would doubtless be further
rise in price during The autumn but he did think
would be considerable in amount did he anticipate
that it would be supplemented by another advance in
winter. He was disposed to attribute the cause TO
real or anced increase in the cost Of its transportation
Exactly why the rates Of
FREIGHrAGE
should be raised when the rush OF the summer business
and the business OF the companies is lessened
he could not explain satisfactorily to the writer and it
certainly does not seem easy subject to explain To
common mortal it would appear that in a decline of
traffic the railway companies would DO glad to conclude
contracts on reduced terms with customers furnishing
such steady freghts This only one of the exasper
on this point There is no stock of coal in the East
according to the agent During the strike little was sent
there tolerable supply being hand and our sharp
Eastern friends not being disposed submit to an ad
vanced price long as the supply hand purchased
cheaper rate lasted The consequence is that there
is very little coal there and large above the
running expenditure is being carried They
resolved there to get along with as little as they
this winter, but the quantity they do and
must use is enormous and enough of itself keep the
price up here, as owing to the lack of stock hand
with them these will be cessation of the demand
They the best COAL too Very little poor coal goes
East and of course every year increases the amount
sent there. The Wilkesbarre Company has completed
new coal wharf at Providence and that port now re-
ceives, and distributes an enormous tonnage
There was five months suspension of trade this year.
owing to the strike yet did materially affect the
prce Of COAL and the wonderful productive and carry
ing capacity of the anthracite is shown by the
fact that the decreased production less than 75O 600
tons There is surely fear of a coal famine nor
even of reduced supply, judging from these figures
and as to the alleged prospective advance in the price
Of freights that would to be very unsubsantal
basis on which to found rise in price and threat
ened further advance.
ADVANCE IN PRICE.
The great mining companies have Offices in this CITY
but their retail trade is conducted through firms that
make that speciality further advance in the price
Of coal before the beginning of winter looked upon as
certain by the retailers and that will hold at the ad-
vanced price and make greater rise. The unanimlty
on this point among the deaeEs is certainly somewhat
remarkable and to suspicious mind would appear to
SAVIOR of mutual understanding 1t seems that fewer
people have been filling their cellars with winters
supply of coal than for many years past They either
do not ha ha IN tbo,b bono cora n
duction in price-presumably the former Many yet
have idea that their past consumption OF coal has
been needessy great and that by strictly watching its
daily the part of employees and servants an ap
preciable economy may be effected The experiment
they deem worth trying, at all events they have an
idea that the very presence in cellar Of large amount
of coal induces careessness in its Truly the eye OF
the master effects n wondrous saving sometimes.
THE POOR TO BEAR BURDEN
II is upon the poor that the burden falls FIRST last
and heaviest They pay the of SIS per ton for
coal inferior that for which those more fortunately
crcumstanced pay SO. They must buy mere pittance
at the time The broken i-fthng windows and
DOORS the gaping weather boarding and the poorly con-
structed chimney rob them of half the warmth ex-
traced from the precious substance. The sales by the
bucket or basket in winters aggregate
One firm here often sells 200 tons in the course of day
W AOcHscu NcHucisi WIZ udWh tlo COdl through the
poorer neighborhoods The business is not an inviting
freezing day, like some of those encountered
last winter but the percentage of profit is immense
'These men," said dealer with a chuckle ''are
avenue for they put down the cash before a
lump Of the coal goes into their carts. "
Some OF these peripatetic sellers like their more
pretentIous brethren who have offices and yards for
the storage of their stock trade may make bad debts
and to grief by overrading caused by an excess
of ambition; but the more reasonable supposition is
that md
keep no books thus avoiding that fatal ooseness Of a
fairs
The poor are sadly weighted too, in another particu
lar their stoves CRATES being the poorest and least
economical known Not to alude to the wealthy class
those in moderate circumstances have only the ad
vantages Of doors and windows either doubled the
least providedwth weather strips of rubber but their
heating apparatus, apart from that merely used for cu
mary purposes, embraces every invention devised by
science In those houses not provided with hot air fur
naces base burning stoves supply their places, and
often preferred With the poor the fire that cooks
their scanty fragments of food must to warm
well it can the wretohed apartment where they live
stove, range or grate of the simplest
and rudest construction wastes their scanty and
dearly bought fuel and gives to the outer air
the warmth so much needed within In the night the
feeble blaze dies out and in the morning it is remade
wasteu process at the best II is safe To say that with
the amount OF coal they do not obtain one-sixth
of the warmth gained by the fortunate owners of i'm
proved apparatus and weather-tght houses and yet
they pay nearly thrice the money for their coal that the
latter class do search among the stove shops
stove has yet to be made that will both for heat
ing and culinary purposes. For the wealthy there
gigantic ranges and baseburners, resplendent with
black lead and nickel plate and cunnngly provided
with such systems of regulating the admission of air
and the combustion OF fuel that it hardly needs
the glib explanation OF the polite attendant
to convince you Of their usefulness well
as beauty; but the cheap stoves are simply
iron boxes to hold fire. IL may be mentioned Incl
dentaly that the conservative Englishman is adopting
our stove and that Japan sending Alba NY for
the superior articles produced there Those stove deal
who put up adjust and repair stoves well as sell
them report great increase in Their business during
the past week. The two three days cold weather
which had brought home many families and the
first desideratum is for the certainty of warmth when
requed The heater is therefore, to be put in position
ready for the winters campaign and small army OF
artisans, who have been unemployed during the sum-
mer months, have gladly resumed their employment.
EXPECTING SEVERE WINTER.
To resume the question to the price OF COAL there
appears be the universal conviction that rise is to
be looked for and the tendency often grows by what
IL feeds on there Is positive assurance that the ad
will not be large before the winter Is through The
rumor- mongers already busy, and although the
unin n N pxcentonallv o. hard