The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1879-11-22
The Coni Trnde.

/
The anthracite coaltrado continues to wear
most cheerful aspect. The prices are we'll
up, and yot not higher than is warranted by
the general Improvement In trade. There ia
no more complaint BY consumers at the ad.
vance in the prices OF coal than there is by
consumers Of iron At the advance In its prices.
Prosperity has returned after years Of absence
and all are content under rs invigoratlng In.
auence, and, under tn jbelief that It has como
| TO stay, all are content that they are doing
more business, and that II they ure paying
more for some commodities witch They have
to buy they are also receiving more for wages
and for other commodities they may have to
| sell. The coal trade, having close alliance
with almost all the leading industries bolng
In motion. hts started AMI eulivencd all bust.
ness. The orders for coal are now quite full
and the prices aro we'll up. Stocks too, ut
the larger coal centres are gradually lessen
Ing in their supply. II Ia not now certain that
there will be even two weeks suspension Of
production within the current year. Some
parties favor 1t as rendering buoyant market
with the opening Of the new yoar 1850 more
certain. Others, shruwd in the coal trade,
tuink the present cruwdlng lnto the market
II orders will take all hu coal that eau be con.
yeniently brought to market. If this is pro.
bable neither the carrying companies nor the
individual operators Will be willing to halt.
Both have suffered In the past from shortened
demand and IRON low prices. They are just
now beginning to feel iubilant over the little
Of advantage realized and the better prospects
y; the future. The experience of the past in
the coal market WIN teach the exercise of
judgment and Of caution In the future. 1t is
no part Of good policy to force coal prices be-
low fairy remuneratve points no more than
il is wise to raise them above such poin,s. A
steady coal market. in which the Transports.
ton shall be AS equally distributed through.
out tn, several months OF the year as may be-,
is the thing desired, aud such acOnsunmatiOn
will be aimed at for The JralO of 1850, which
just now promises most lavOrabiy. There is
now but about u month more of active al
trade, AMI those who may at the end Of that
ward their orders. To-day there is ~ be an
other further advance IN prices, ami as the
steadily Increasing demand iur cal may tax
the productive capacity OfOperdtors there is
reason for taking advantage Of the earliest
opportunity to put In the required supply.
Tue carrying companies, us we'll US The Ope-
rators, are making preparations for the larg-
est tonnage. The PhilLdcl Ihia and Reading
Railroad Company has leased the wharves
and shipping port belonging to the Delaware
Lackawanna and Western RAJ. road Conn pany
ut Elzabcthport, which the later cUmpduy
formerly used when its coal onnage went over
the Central hailroad Oi New jersey. these
wharves have ashippng capacity about Two
millions of tons of coal per annuln. Work
h s alruaJy been cOmmunccd NJ repairing
lhcttt, ana they are expected to be ready to
receive coal by January lst. The coal for
shipment over these wharycs will 20 by the
new Bound Brock rou and the Central Rail.
road TO Elza0e,hport. The retail price of
Lehigh and SchuylAiil stove coal in this ciy
now ,uies at about t5l5 per long on, This is
about one dollar per ton above the lowest
price Of The current year and cannot he said
TO be eXhurbitant charge 1t Is rcusOnah bic,
aud such as most Producers Will be satisfied
with, hut, as coal is n necessity, no one should
neglect supply for domestic uses, for AS soon
as II scarcity is felt there will not long be lack
Ing of parties, in and out of the trade, to COM
mand and iorcstali lis prices. The der1and
from the fu naces for fuel and from the marl-
uiacturiug regions OF New England, is likely
10 be pretty active, and each Will hide away
very large amount Of coal. We DO no. wish
| to appear in he light OF alarms 5, but We do
desire that domestic consumers shall secure
their coal at lowest prices.-Ledger, MONDAY.
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