Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1878-05-25

what n Producer Thinks of the
Situation.
Communicated.

Communicated
EDITOR SENTINEL: In your Thurs
days issue appeared an article under
the heading of supplies Shut OT,''
which | think is a little erroneous, al
least as far as my knowledge is on
cerued. | may not, perhaps, be classed
as a leading producer, still l handle a
considerable amount of charcoal. For
my part, l can see no use for any COM
bination, where there is hardly anything
to combine on; and the facts will bear
me out, that there is no considerable
amount of coal on hand in the woods
on which it would be worth while %
combine. If we look into the cause of
the scarcity of coal, we can very easily
find the reason without charging it to
any combination. 1t is simply this:
That the demand regulates the supply
and the prices thereof; and whenever
the supply ia greater than the demani,
and people have to sell because coal is
an article that deteriorates in quantity
as well as in quality, from the moment
that it is drawn from the pits until it is
shipped), then the prices Will be below
the cost of producing, and men will
quit the business. Whenever the de
mand exceeds the supply, prices will
rule high. combination or no combina-
ton. When men are forced out of the
business on account of low prices
when they would have to work a whole
year for nothing, you can not blame
them for not taking hold OF the bust
ness unless they have a guarantee that
they can do better than they did before.
There is question l would like to
have answered. Why are teams
turned out? Is it because there is coal
in the woods and they car not get it,
or is it, Ms l claim, that there is no
coal for them TO get? The low prices
that ruled on coal last summer was
entirely due to men in the business
themselves. principally to coal-burn-
ers, who, eager TO sell their goods,
carried them for awhile, and finally
forced the coal on the market at a
ruinous price (no Shylock about those
iellows). They became owners of coal
and wood teams, and the men them
selves. In due time the supply of
coal being exhausted, and men of no
means seeing how they Jared a year
dEOs "Elt tiIdiI W IhEHlt tlIO BUSINESS
again, and men who have means al @
just as shy, unless they have some in
ducements and guarantee to justify
them in venturing into anything as I'M
certain or SO poorly remuneratiye as
coal burning.
| have yet to learn of any superin-
tendent fnaAing proposals to reduce
coal below thirty cents. On the On,
trary, | know of at lest one who said
that his company was willing
to pay thirty cents per bushel,
but those proposals, 81 often repeated,
forced him to accept coal at less raIes
1t remains to be seen whether it was a
Use move Oh the part of the mining
companies to accept coal at a price less
than the cost of production. 1t is my
opinion that a fair price, a square
measure, and a guarantee to the men
who produce coal that they will not be
shut of with a lot on their hands with
out any warning, will remedy the evil
To a great extent, and perhaps after a
little while effect a cure, but unless
some such inducements are held out,
the article that is now scarce Will not
be a drug in the market until the fur
naces are shut down. Any combina
ton entered into now cannot increase
the coal supply for some time to come.
lies in the scarcity of wood cut, and
the unwillingness of men to go to max
ing coal unless they know that they
can get a fair price for it, and sell when
they makeit. COAL BURNER.