The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1876-08-05
The Coal Trade,

lhe anthracite coal tonnage for the week en-.
ding on the l2d instant is WI hOn special feature
1t was what 10 called al Off week that is r
week In which, by common consent among coal
operators, there was to be no production Of coal
Tor the weeK. the object beng to prevent a tur.
tner piling OF coal until the present supply on
hand shall be reduced to more nearly the cur.
rem demand The men IN the trade profess TO
consult the interest of consumers as well as
themselves IN thus endeavOring 10 eqnalze the
supply of coal N the market and steady prices
hin reasonable units. II operators were
madiy to resolve on the largest production OF
coal they would very soon knock prices down
beiow the cost Of putting T. IN the market and
while some Of the large consumers iron workers
and others, might he able to make more on their
COntrects, carried out under the lowest prices of
co l. others WORKING under prices of fuel laId in
at high prices, would be forced out of the market
and not lmprODablY in some instances into.
bankruptc,. A steady coal market Is impOr-
tant to the large interests In the trade. Prices
of coal should be graduated mt wages and to the
prices OF all the industries included in this pro-
auction. Con- DlnatiOns that look to keeping the
pilce Of fuel uD, to the single aim or purpose of
making large and undue profits to the producer
reg trdess Of the general shrinkage that is going
on ali al Ound tuem. would be cd GUS and
not to be endured but such is not, as we un
derstand II, the present policy Of what Is known
at the concerted action now observed I'D the
coal trade. It's aim is engthened season oftrans.
portauon, by inducing shipments early in the
year, the freight rates opening ut the lowest
point and increasing rs the year advances. They
thus have eight or nine months tonnage IN
every twelve months, instead OF four or five
months IN every twelve, rs used co be the rule
This enables the carving companies to work at
average lower rates, to the benefit OF all inter-
ested in the trade, and especIa y to consumers
OF coal. The coal associations aim to do this, and
IN dong this to MAINTAIN steady market, put
ting those In other pursuits IN which anthracite
coal is a chef item on footing as neariy equal
as may be. This IL not combination working
to the pref l1dice OF consumers, and Is, therefore,
to be encouraged. because it preserves in its
integrity the best interests of the trade. which
will as SUI ey go to rack and rum as 1t IL devia
ted from, and II 10 does none will suffer in the
consequences more than the small consumers
the hOusehOlders. Those who use fuel tor the
driving of Industrial occupations can m9ke up
in some degree tine increased cost of fuel by In
C easing he prices of his particular manufac-
lures, But not so the householder-he uses
fuel for c0pvehence and comfort, having no re-
turn profit Weare thus earnest in keeping the
Goa u ade steady yHand there may be no coal IA
mlns hs would be very sure to follow for time
at ieast on Overstocken coal marRet and Uank-
rupted coal operators. -Pmla. Ledger, July 81.
1le following table shows the quantity OF coal
shipped over the Lehigh Valley Railroad for the
wees ending July 10Th, 1875 and for the year
COnDal ed w tin tine same time last wear: