Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1880-12-18

instance of the Waverly Coal and
Coke Company. They also denounced
this company in strong terms for in
stituting the criminal proceedings
referred to, characterizing their action
as trash, unnecessary, malicious, un-
christian, and stab at the GONZALES
cling relations growing between miners
and operators of Pittsburg.'
We have alluded heretofore to the
outrageous coal monopoly of Pennsyl-
vania, to the combination of all the
mining interests of that State by
which it 10 sought to regulate the
price of an indispensable article, not
only to family use but to manufacture
al purposes. Some time since this
monopoly resolved to stop produc-
ton. They cared not if this would
throw thousands of workmen out of
employment and hundreds of thou
sands of people dependent upon them
into conditions of destitution and dis
tress. All they desired was that they
should make their usual dividends.
This stoppage of production we now
notice is having its deleterious effect
upon the whole country it is stop
ping the production of iron in the
United States and throwing it into
the hands of foreigners, and this at
time when the price of the article has
gone up to enormous figures, it is thus
bringing distress and destitution into
other forms of industry; more than
this, it is causing coal famine in
several districts Of the country, not
only in this State but in Ohio, Indi-
ana, Wisconsin and other States and
Territories, coupled with the scarcity
of cars for the transport of what is
available; it threatens to freeze out
whole towns and even cities. 1t is
true that the shipments of coal by
lake and rail from January l, 1880,
to Nov ember l, same year, were much
larger than in 1879; but it must not
be forgotten that there is an immense
increase in all kinds Of business in
this city, and a large increase of its
population. The receipts of coal by
lake and rail for the two years to
November l have BEEN
1880. 1879.
tons. tons.
Anthracite. ........ 643,4S2 710,233
Bituminous. ......1 1,530,9I 1,240,606
But the total shipments Of coal by
lake and rail have been larger this
year than last, being for 1880 476,658,
and for 1879 335, ,94l tons, an increase
in 1880 of 90,7l7 tons. Bat in the
face of this increase Of consumption
the coal monopolists have stopped
production in order to advance prices.
The result has been that the dealers
all over the country and the various
coal exchanges have been combining
to put up prices, which have already
advanced from $l.50 to $500 per ton.
Following the example set them by
those in the trade elsewhere, the coal
dealers composing what is called the
Chicago Coal Exchange in this city,
held a meeting at their room in the
Grand Pacific Hotel on Saturday,
and, after some discussion, probably
as mere matter Of form, decided to
raise the prico Of anthracite and
Brier Hill coal to $3.50 per ton, to
take effect at onc,. Now, this is just
what tie Pennsylvania and other
coal monopolists have been working
to bring about, and which an odious
tariff, of between so and 100 per cent,
according to tho price CT the product,
helps them to bring about at will.
So that, at the very time that other
industries need coal-at the very time
coal famine is threatened-these
monopolists are ready to tax the peo-
pie enormously for their exclusive
benefit. In the meantime, at this
very emergency in the country, it has
been resolved by these soulless par
ties that the workmen are to be again
called out of the mines during por-
tion of December, so that their task
masters may have another opportunity
to put the screws upon the general
public. What spectacle Miners
driven to starvation on the one hand
and the people reduced to the extrem-
ity of coal famine upon the other, IN
order that the coal companies shall
make larger dividends than usual
Chicago Daily NeDS.
MIND your own business and let
the affairs of others alone. What if