The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1878-12-21

The Coal Trade.
five accept the words of the parties to the
present coal combination as veritabe and
true that compact is virtually at an end.
The Lehigh Valley Company will take no
action on new combination until the pres
ent one has expired, and the present COM
bnaton will not wait longer than the 27th
instant a few weeks ago, when serious
disagreement first showed itself in the COM
bnaton, complaints of injustice and unfair
ness to some of the parties in the combina.
tion were presented rs the grounds for their
dissent to renewing the arrangement for ap-
other year. The allotment was complained
Of as unequal and oppressive, giving unduly
to some while it withheld fiom others what
they were justly entitled to. This, if true,
was Il well grounded complaint, and, if fair
ly presented by the complaining party with
out commanding redress, would afford suf-
tcent reason for Withdrawing from the COM
bnqtQp, No one joining in the effort to
effect an arrangement thereby committed
himself, nor did he in any way become en-
dangerod of being outvoted to his prejudice,
for no majority principle is acknowledged in
the combination. The whole project con-
templates a unity ofaction. Any one party
being dissatisfied with any provision or re-
quirements agreed upon by the other parties,
10y adhering 10 his dissent resolves the oom-
bination to individual competing parties,
Hence there is no danger, if an agreement
for the control of the trade for 1879 is desir-
ed, i'll giving full attendance for consulta-
tion of all the parties in interest, The hold
ing alooG, therefore, from full and free con-
ference may be fairly presumed to be person.
al indispostiop to Join in rather than to any
Il i,,
reasoned away and the arrangement effected.
This being the fact, there will probably be
no fuller meeting of the parties to the COM
biuatiou at tho next appointed period, on
tho 9th instant, than there has been at any
time in the recent past. Indeed it is al
most certain that on that date the purrGse of
abandoning all efforts to effect any united
action, for 1870 will be announced, after
which the further discussion of the subject
will probably cease. II has been suggested
that if the principle of unlimited production
of coal should be Incorporated in an arrangt
ment for 1879, as unlimited price of coal is
now feature of the present combination, it
might command the favor OF all the several
parties, Fhat is, if it shall he permitted to
every operator i'll any number Of days de.
signated by the combination TO produce as
much GOAL as desired, which, it is presumed.
would be as much as they could sell at sptis-
factory prices, all the parties might accept
it, Such Il feature would seem to take from
the combination policy much of its objection
able monopoly character, making the traffic
as free as possible to hold any control of the
trade at all, But to this, under fuller con-
sdcration, objections are interposcd by the
coal operators that such unlimited produc-
ton would advance tho cost of mining and
the cost of shipment upon themselves. For
the ten or twenty days allowed to working
each operator would naturally desire to pat
into market the greatest possible amount OF
coal, and the competition would quicken the
demand for miners and for vessels to trans
port the product of their labor, aud this in
creased demand would naturally tend to put
up the wages of the one and the freight
charges of the other, materially encroachng
upon the profits that would attend the other
wise cheaper production of coal were the OPP
orators allowed to work steadily along, talk
ing twenty-siX days to produce the amount
they might, under limit of time, try tc
produce in fifteen or twenty days. So it is
seen this policy, that had its plausible side
| when first presented, seems to have its diff
culties, and which, on further consideration
may prove insuperable, defeating any ar
rangement at all. In all its aspects the fu.
tulC VI llC tNtll lld'lC SiO'lllN anu lllt
present it is demoralized in the extreme
The I!ehigh Valley Railroad Company i:
reported to have stocked at Perth Amboy
10000 tons of COAL with capacity there fol
2OO,OO tons, which, with the present slack
ened demand, they will probably fill by the
end of the year. All the carrying compan
| les have pretty large stocks of coal, and es
pecially Of the free burning Goals. Order!
for coal are few, as is naturally the case
when prices are on the downward course
| Demand is ever most active when buyers
fear steadily higher prices. When they hope
/ for lower prices, as most consumers now dC
with an abandonment of the combination
orders are deferred to the last moment, and
| the least possible amount of coal is consumed
AS tending to aggravate matters in this re-
| gard, a rumor was current here on Saturday
that at the next auction sale of Scranton
coal at New York 10000 tons would bC
offered We have seen no confirmation o
this report, ,.but if true, and determination
is made TO really sell that amount in the
present condition of the market very low
figures may be calculated upon.-Lcdgcr
| 18Th inst.
The following table show s ne quantity OF Goa
! shipped over the Lehigh Valley Railroad 1OT the
| week ending Dec, IA, 1873 and for tue year us
/ I.,u