Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-11-19
THE Kiss IN THE PRICE OF COAL.

| IN OTQer, anu Ill VIC iuOIS So sluco IL Will
demonstrate the mischieyous operation of
some of the laws which have been enacted
under the pretense of protecting home in
dustry. There is no reason in the condi-
ton of any of the coal mines which supply
this market for the increase in the price of
that staple. Wages have not risen, the
cost of output hes not risen. The demand
has not been increased. Butt has become
difficult to bring the coal to market, and
on this failure in the transportation ar
rangements the whole situation turns.
| There is an abundance of coal at Belling-
ham Bay and Nanaimo, awaiting shipment,
but there are no vessels to bring it to San
Francisco. How this happens may be
easily explained. A rise has taken place
in wheat charters, and every available ves-
sci is being impressed into the work of car
rying the crop of California to Liverpool.
So great is the demand for tonnage, and so
tempting are the freight rates, that not
only large vessels but the heavier class OF
schooners, recently employed in the coast
trade, are loading With grain. The small
schooners and sloops are all engaged in
bringing wheat down the rivers to the
warehouses and wharves Of Benicia, Oak
land, Vallejo and San Francisco, and so
they cannot be had to carry coal. Under
a natural state of things it would be pos
sible to supply the transportation def
cheney by chartering foreign vessels for
the coastiDg coal trade. But at this point
the wisdom of Congress interferes, and
prohibits any such arrangement. No
foreign vessel can be admitted to the
coasting trade under the existing laws of
the United States. The result is that the
price of coal is going up, and opportunity
is afforded for combination among the
dealers which may make the coming
winter very trying one for all who are
struggling to make both ends meet. We
observe that some of the San Francisco
papers are endeavoring to fasten the
entire responsibility of the rise in coal
upon the dealers. This is not correct
view of the situation. 1t is quite possible
that dealers may have determined to take
advantage of the opening offered them,
and that they may urge prices still higher
than they would otherwise have gone.
That is the privilege of which all business
men avail themselves whenever they can,
however, and it is useless to kick against
it. The main fact nevertheless remains,
namely, that the deficiency in transporta-
| ton which is at the bottom of this whole
movement was not caused by the dealers,
and cannot be remedied by them. The
embarrassment is primarily due to the fact
| that the coaIing fleet has suddenly became
unavailable, and that owing to the laws of
the country it is impossible to supply the
place of that feet with the only vessels
which could be procured.
The law referred to was intended to Sc
cure the control of the coasting trade to
American bottoms, and to encourage the
building of vessels for that trade at home.
! If this coal famine were to become chronic
| it is presumable that it would eventually
stimulate ship-building on this coast. In
six months or year, that is TO say, the
demand for golfers might be supplied from
the shipyaTds of California and Puget
Sound. But in the meantime how are con-
sumers to be relieved? As the case stands
it is obvious that they have no remedy.
The consumption of coal in this State has
been increasing steadily for some years.
The increase in the price OF wood has
| partly caused this, and as wood is certain
to become dearer every year, as the diff
Guilty of cutting and bringing it TO market
| increases, coal must be relied on more and
more, unless it also should become too
dear. The railroads of the State at pres
en5 require more than 500, 600 tons OF coal
a year. This quantity alone is sufficient
to demand the employment of a consider
able feet of colhers. We do not under
stand why it is that this growing traffic
has not already caused tie building of ves-
| sells fitted for it. Apparently there is
work enough for forty or fifty large vessels
| in this branch of the coasting trade alone,
yet assuredly no such number of vessels is
now or ever has been available. The peo
! pie of California who grunble at the
amount of their coal bills this winter, how
ever, must realize that they owe this In
creased expense directly to the prohibition
| which paralyzes the transportation of coal
precisely at the moment when there
are no American coasters to fall
back upon. It may indeed be argued
by some that the rise in coal is
indirectly due to the extent of our
wheat crop. It might be further alleged
that it was due to the recent rise in the
Liverpool wheat market, which, by raising
freights, has tempted all available vessels
into the grain trade. But It is clear that
the laws of Congress are responsible for
the situation in the main, and that if these
laws had not been enacted it would have
been impossible for the dealers to effect
any combination, or for the price OF
coal to be maintained for any length OF
time above the normal market rates. We
are about to pay tribute to the theory of
protection to home industry" and to do
it in the disagreeable consciousness that
no home industry but that OF the coal deal
ers is in the least degree benefited, whereas
thousands of Woodworking men who really
want some protection are thereby driven
to the wall and squeezed numerically.
! GLADSTONE AND HIS CABINET.
1t is stated. and with some show of
probability, that serious discussions have
arisen in Mr.. Gladstone's Cabinet in con-
nection.with the Irish question. 1t is even
intimated that the more radical members
of the Government may retire, and be re.
placed by men who will coincide in the
milder policy advocated by Bright and the