The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1878-12-14


The anthracite coal trade has reached a
position in its affairs of which little is nee
essary to be said. The combination formed
last spring, under terms which were tacitly
assehted to by all the parties to the compact,
is now about to expire, and, 50 far as we
have outward sign, is not 10 be renewed for
the next year. The total output of anthra-
cite coal for the calendar year is 1s millions
of tons, and the filling up of that quantity
will keep all the several parties in tho trade
employed to tho end of the year. That the
conditions of the combination, notwithstand-
ing their half-hearted support, have done
much to put the trade in its present gener-
ally Wholesome condition is admitted. There
have been at times complaints of injustice to
individuals and to localities through the
operations Of the combination, but, on the
whole, the trade is decidedly better than at
any time within the last three or four years
and if the right spirit throughout all the
parties could be brought to bear on the con-
sideration of an amended compact for 1879,
the present confessed improvement of the
trade could be, and, we have no doubt,
would be confirmed, if not further improved.
But that just now does not seem probable.
The tone assumed by nearly all " the high
contracting parties" lacks all evidence of
that conservative spirit from which any hope
can be eextracted of freconcilng differing opin-
ions. Up to within the last few weeks all
perhaps, one, were profcssedly in accord on
its chief terms and conditions, and the pro.
liabilities of an amended combination for
next year were hoped for and generally ex-
pected, 1t is widely different now, so far as
we may judge from the avowals made by the
respective parties themselves. The relative
members at this date for and against combi-
nation are nearly reversed from what they
were month since. Now FIVE or SIX of the
seven parties composing the combination
say al let it expire by its own limitation, p
and expire it is likely to do. Each of those
so avowing now claim to have yielded to
the combination during the current year
more in profits than the combination gave
back to them in advantages. There is
scarcely one of all the parties that does not
assume for its particular company capacities
and advantages that, in free fight for the
trade of the open market, will not enable
it to come out at the end of the next year
better off than the best of its competitors
1t is apparent that all of these cannot be
right as to the result, and it is highly pro.
bable that each of all of them will realize
the fact that all of them will be greatly mis-.
taken. 1t is barely possible. that this game
of brag is assumed, and is intended to be
used hereafter as a make-weight in making
the most for itself should combination al
the last be determined upon. At this mo.
ment, however, this possibility is not q pro
liability. A break is confidently looked
for. About the only means now apparent
for e0ecting different result is for those in
divlduals who are interested in the severa
companies to exert their influence on thei
respective company officers. The effects o
the general impression that the combina
ton will not be renewed is probably bes
told in the very general decline in tn,
prices of the stocks of the coal carrying com
panies. They are all down, both here ant
in the New York market.-Ledgcr, Monday
The folio wing table shows ne quantity OF Goa
shipped over the Lehgh Valley Railroad for I'll
| week enuing Dec. 7, 1878, and for the year al
compared the same time lat year.