The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1880-12-04
The CoaITrnds.


The anthracite coal trade during the part
week has been almost wholly without feat
ure. There is good supply Of coal and
fair demand for most Of the domestic sizes. |
Coal Is being distributed freely, so freely. in
fact, that the stock on hand is steadily di-
minishing, though the smouHt, with the
current production, is such as 10 dispel all
apprehension Of a short stock and supply.
As yet ii has not been determined when the
nine days suspension of mining in the
month of December will commence. If
there should be any indications of a scarcity
of coal It is possible, il indeed not probable
the present severely cold weather continues
all the coal that we have and that Is likely
to be mined will be required to meet the ne
cessitous demand. As yet prices remain at
reasonable figures, but if they should not
consumers of coal will have themselves
alone to blame. This paper and several
others have steadily and almost all the time
pressed upon the attention Of readers the
wisdom Of laying in their coal early and
while the prices were conlessedly low, even
il the coming winter should prove a mild
one, Coal is necessity, supply of which
cannot be Ignored. And when the price is
low in warm weather II is the part Of wis
dom TO then lay it in, and is about.the only
sure protection against Inconvenience, high
prices und suffering from the chances Of a
long and unduly cold winter. While there
| is no great amount of coal stored, we recog-
nize the fact that the managers and large
producers of coal have the market pretty
much in their own control. The mines and
the mining forces are in condition to pro-
duce very large amounts of coal, and the
transportation companies pretty well equip
ped for the prompt putting of it in market.
Another favorable consideration, the price
of coal has not been suffered TO fell so low
as not 10 furnish stimulant to the liberal
putting of it in market, While coal is moi
so dear as to cause unusual complaint there.
at on the part OF consumers, 1t Is enough tC
satisfy producers for the cost of production
The only complaint in the trade that is moi
Just now readily met is general and wide
spread scarcity Of coal cars, and what !:
worse, the outlook for necessary replen.
ishment is not as good as could be desired
The coal trade have now the opportunity
of proving to their customers, the consumers
of coal, that they are not the grasping crea
lures they are sometimes represented TO be
They will not halt in production, nor will
they, as we believe, unreasonably advance
prices beyond fair paying return, although
the fault of the situation is of their custom
ers' own making. Navigation has closed
and at q date in November scarcely ever be
fore so early. The scarcity Of cars happen
ing at about the same time, may have /
tendency to check the free distribution o
coal, and, with the less amiably disposed
any inconvenience and short supply tha
may result may be attributed to q wilfu
purpose on the part Of those controlling tht
trade. The demand for cars is most press
ing on the far western lines, from which
. new territory is annually more and more
widely opened every year to hard coal. Th'
railway officials may probably be unable t,
see any way out of their difficulty except t,
,, put up freight rates to higher figures; bu
W, hope not. Mr., franklin B. G0wen
president of the Philadelphia and Reading
Railroad Company. sails for Europe on Wed
nesday of this week. Parties here engaged
in the coal trade have decided not To advanc,
, the prices of coal during the month Of De
cember.-Ledger, Monday.