The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1879-02-01
The Coal Trade.


We have nothing new of general import
ance to note in the anthracite coal trade,
says last Mondays Philadelphia Ledger.
There is, and has been all the past week, a
large demand for stove and chestnut sizes of
coal in New York at So and 2 90 per ton,
and deliveries have been fiucli DELAYED by
reason Of the scarcity of coal ON the market.
In addition, the recent storms have much
retarded operations at the mines and on the
lines ofralways. Under these impcdiments
in keeping up a full supply of fuel the
weather has been such as to materially in.
crease the demand. The result is very
thorough clearing out of the stocks on hand
of the several compahies. The spring will
open to a much more favorable showing for
the trade than was even Hoped for month
ago. 1t is believed that d little harmony and
cooperation among tile parties shipping to
the New York market would result in an
advance of so cents q ton on domestic sizes,
but the fact that the Delaware and Hudson
Company have made some sales for Febru-
ary and March delivery, and the Pennsyl-
yania Coal Company have their circulars out
iixing$2 S5 for stove coal to theii contractors
for February delivery, render it somewhat
improbable that any advance will be made
in the face of the large amount TO be offered
There is II strong probability of decided
scarcity of coal, perhaps not a famine, but
supply so short as to fully maintain any
reasonable prices that the principal operators
may agree upon. But will they do this is
| the inquiry now to be answered. The
| 100000 tons of Scranton coal to be sold on
| Wednesday is pretty heavy stock to lift in
a single day at this season of the year, and
may bear little heavily on prices. The
sale is hiriohnced as positive and TO the
! highest bidder, no bids in any form being
made for account ofthe company-the terms
being fifty cents per ton down on the day of
sale and the remainder in ten days. 1t is
now well assured fact that there will be no
coal combination during the current year,
though it is manifest that the New York
parties to that of 1878 much desire one, and
as little question that low prices are urged
! by them now with the view of enforcing
| such result BY making the unwilling,
! from prospective losses, more willing to Join
| in the protection against loss, which combi-
! nation seems the only surety. The outlook
for the trade is certainly no worse, and most
persons consderit better. The market is so
bare of coal that coal operators and trans
| porters can, If they choose to harmonize,
regulate prices, at least 50 far as to hold
prices to Il remunerative point. The de-
mand for coal by reason ofthe estimated in
creased production Of iron will, with other
encouraging influences, put the tonnage for
the year up to twenty one or twenty-five
millions Of tons, an output that will not
only protect the coal interest from loss but
will do much to resuscitate the transporta-
ton companies in the trade from the severe
depression Of the last two or three years.
While it is ever desirable to have the prices
Of articles of necessity in every household,
as low as they can be produced at, with
living wages to all engaged in the produc-
ton of such necessary commodities, it is
neither wise nor desirable to force those
prices so low as to crush out enterprise and
the fair and wholesome competition that
can exist only on reasonable prices. 1t is to
the geGeral advantage that as little of the
capital invested in coal as possible should
be lost. All undue loss therein is borne in
the end by the consumers of the coal.