The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1878-02-09
The Coal Trade,

The Coal Trade
The anthracite coal movement during the
past week has been without special feature.
All that has transpired has been in the di-
rection of a full consummation of the COM
pact entered into by the operators of the
several coal regions and the large coal car
rying companies TO protect the best interests
of the trade from the competitive spirit that
for the past year Or two has ruled to its ruin.
There is at present no sign of the failure of
the combination, now so steadily progress
ing in the perfection of all the details. 1t
is now almost universally conceded that the
policy being carried out is a sort of mutual
protection for the coal carrying roads against
the hard times and low prices. The absence
of signatures from the articles of agreement,
which some thought was a sign of weakness,
being now better understood, the fact is ac-
cepted as an evidence of strength which will
surely give the combination life for at least
the present year. The regular, settled
monthly quotas of tonnage for each company
are to be strictly adhered to. Securities are
positively to be deposited in the hands of
respectable persons, and Is cents paid upon
every ton carried over and above the quota.
The present purpose of the several coal
regions, to bring the supply of coal down to
current demand, is daily more certain, and
the excess is believed to be not nearly so
large as has been estimated. The whole
amount atall the centres, in first hands, COM
petent Judges estimate does not exceed half
a million of tons. The amount held by the
Lehigh Valley Railroad ofoperatOrs' stock is,
indeed, 80 900 tons less than it was at this
time last year. But, assuming the amount
in all to be half a million of tons. it is not
large for this period of the year. All opera
tors in the Lehigh Valley region will sus-
pend mining for two weeks from to-day.
The Central Railroad of New Jersey and the
Lehlgh Navigation Company are doing their
part to deplete the stock ofits surplus, what
ever it may be, and during the month of
February will not give to the market more
than the proceeds of ten days work, which
is not more than 90 per cent oftheir capacity.
An entire suspension of mining operations
will commence is the Schuylkill region on
the 1lth instant and continue for two weeks
from that date. The following have been
fixed as the prices of coal at Schuylkill
Haven for the month of February to the
line and city trade; Whiteash lump and
steamboat at 50 25 per ton, being an advance
on each of 25 cents per ton. Old prices are
continued for broken, egg, stove, chestnut
and pea Nos. | and 2. The Reading Coal
and Iron Company have fixed the prices of
coal free on board of vessels at Port Rich
mond at 50 80 for lump and steamboat, an
advance OFFS cents on each SO 55 for broken,
an advance of 80 cents SO 65 for egg, an
advance of 35 cents; SO 40 for chestnut,
an advance of 40 cents, and 81 90 for pea, an
advance of Is cents. The Schuylkill Coal
Exchange fixes the following as the Febru-
ary prices for river and city trade; Broken,
lump and steamer, per ton, 50 20 ;egg, 81 90;
stove, 50 IS; chestnut, 81 %; pea. 81 25.
After the prices had been fixed the Exchange
unanimously agreed to suspend operations for
two weeks the suspension to date from the 9Th
instant. The advances noted are not up to
| those warranted by the recent auction sale
of coal at New York. The average advance
realized on that occasion was G2 cents per
| ton on the entire sale. The market for coal,
! however, is dull, the result in great measure
| of large quantity of coal thrown upon the
market at the time of the first formation OF
the present union, and the persons who have
purchased that coal are selling it at prices
considerably lower than the fixed rates, but
the cutting down of production by the pre-
! sent action of the several companies will soon
| correct this For the last four or five days
| the trade has been very materially blocked
by the fall of snow and its drifts. Alto
gether, however, the trade has healthiu
aspect and there is every prospect that the
year 1878 will see it essentially recovered from
its severe depression without prejudice tC
consumers.-Ledger, 4th inst.
Thefollo wing table shows tho quanrlry OF Goa
shipped over the Lehigh Valley Railroad 1Or tue
week enGing Fec. 2nd, 1873 and for the year G'
| compared the same time lG1t year.