The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1880-03-13
The COnI Trade.

| Aho ShtuTacltc coal trado steadily i'm
proves from week to week. The demand for
coal is on the increase, and prices steadily
advance. The impression has gone abroad
that this is entirely tho result of a short
supply of coal by reason of an agreed d-upon
| suspension among producers and carrying
companies. This may have had some influ-
ence in awakening the attention of buyers
to the fact that the producers Of coal mean
to demand remunerative prices for the fu-
ture, and have come TO such an understand
ing in the premises as to assure all in the
trade that prices hence to the end of the
year are much more likely to advance than
TO decline. The chief stimulus, however, we
are inclined to believe, is from the general
Improvement of all kinds of business, and
especially from the revival of the manuiac.
turing industries, and notably the manufac-
ture of and demand for iron. This industry
Is one that cannot be continued at fast and
loose, produce largely one month and stop
the next. The purposes to which iron and
steel are to be applied are mainly contem-
plated far in advance, and the necessary
preparations which have to be made are not
only costly but require much time. So of
the many railroads which these costly COM
modities have to complete and equip. They
are prepared for long ahead as is also the
capital necessary to carry them forward
and, once started, they cannot very well
halt This is the situation just now. There
is great and active REVIVAL in business and
oil business energies, and it is hardly in the
nature of things that there will be lessen
ing OF any demand for supplies, and conse.
questly no shortening in the production of
the means to manufacture. In other words,
those who have prepared to use iron and
steel will go ahead; to stop will be far more
losing than to go on. Coal must he had and
will be used to the extent Of the prepara-
tions made for its use. The anthracite coal
trade of 1880, all the indications show, will
be large, so large as, in the opinion of par
ties well informed in the business, to tax
the productive capacities Of the several an
shracite regions to pretty nearly their ca.
pacity, which cannot fail to make market
prices satisfactory to producers. The sus-
pension OF half time, inaugurated week or
Two ago, has lessened production below
what it was last year to this time, but the
advance in prices and the improved tone
md temper ofthe market are countervail-
ng in their influence, and more. The up.
ward turn in coal prices, begun last month,
s likely to be confined On the Cd instant
he Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron l
company decided to advance its eastern
prices of coal to take effect on the 18th inst.
The rates for hard white ash coat at Eliza
'ethport, N. j., will be as follows: Lump
md steamboat, 81 75, no change; broken
md egg, 81, an advance of 40 cents stove,
"A, no changej chestnut, SO 80, an advance
# s cents; pea, So IS, an advance of 25 |
ents. For free burning coal at the same /
'oint an advance of 80 cents is made in 4
'roken' 25 cents in egg and pea, and cents ]
n chestnut. The price Of hard white ash 1
oal on board vessels at Port Richmond will !
e; Lump ana steamboat, 81 40, an advance i
+ 10 cents; broken, egg aud stove, So 65,an 4
dvance of 40 cents in broken and egg and \
% change in stove; chestnut, SO 55, an ad- l
anee of cents; and pea,S2 40, an advance
is cents. Advance of so cents for broken
cents for egg, cents for chestnut, and is
ents for pea are made in the prices of free F
urning Goals at the same point. We un- q
erstand that all the transportation COM n
anies are adhering closely to the under y y
landing recently agreed upon. No coal is 4
cling moved on Thursday, Friday and Sat Il
rday of each week which has not passed ].
nc weigh scales previous to IL o'clock on p
Wednesday night, and no operator is per- .
,itted to work breaker or load any coal
itor the close of the days work on We'd -
esday evening in fact, we hear of empty 7
lrs being removed from under breakers on =
thursday, to make sure that none should be 81
'aded.-Ledger, Monday. CO