The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1880-05-01
The CoaITr-n,do,..'


The anthracite coal trade after three days
OF suspension Of coal production. is, we regret
to say. hardly as active rs wns hoped for be.
fore the suspefision. There was eompe rRtive-
ly few current orders coming upon the msrket
There will be three days more OF suspension
this week. and the effect of these on the coal
demand will be watched with much interest.
Suspension is not 80 much (as we remarked
last week. TO lessen any large amount of coal
pressing on the market, for the amount in
stock is not unduly large as 1t is TO assure con.
sumers that the market 10 reasonably in the
control Of the producers. The request for this
suspension fOr a week came from that portion
OF the coal trade centreing nt New YorS. and
1t is now understood with the trade there, as
well as with the trade ceDtreing here, that the
stock OF coal shall not exceed the currect dc.
mand on orders actually given. II the trade
0oes not improve during the present week, by
a quickeninG Of orders to an extent that will
warrant six days working in each week, the
coal operators, II Is understood, stand ready to
unite in another SUSPENSION, for q LONGER or
shorter time, as the exlgency Of the situation
shall seem to warrant 1t is intended, how.
ever, that no advantage shall inuTe to the con
sumers from lessened production, The coal
that ia not ordered aOd shipped now because Jt
the prices producers propose TO hold at high.
er PRICES as the season shoIteus and crowds
more tonnage into fewer weeks late in the
season. 1t Is the purUo-e Of tiluse engaged in
the production q coal to encourage early ord.
ers. and thus to lenethen the coal sea son for
transportation. BY this means the cost OF put
ting coal in market may Oe materially lessen.
ed, and consumers by resisting this purpose,
put themsev yes most in danger OF whatever
vic'ss tudes may come TO the trade, including
the almost certain short supply ard higher
prices of coai. If no more than last years
amount of coal is marketed This year. some rs
mil io.s of tons, aud up TO the present the pro
ducton Is little snort, 1t is estimated that the
entire productive aud transporting capacity
will be petty fully taxed. In this view OF the
situation good policy wOuld seem to invite to
au early and regular use OF coal. Prices are
now fairly remunerative, nothing more. and II
is well settled fat prod}tcets do not intend to
| in nlsh coal for less. When coal shall first be
felt to oe scarce, as it probably soon Will. 1t
will bound up quicNly, and whatever advances
are made the market is rot likely to recede
from. The halt in the coal trade, which Is b.
lieved TO be but temporary, may be traced
yer v unerr ngy to the OVERRIDING last year in
the manufacture and sale Of iron. Prices we're
advanced too rapidly, they stirred into lite
every Old forge and furnace, mud invited undue
importations of iron, scrap as well as manu- c.
tured, until the market was overstocked ana
the prices were run down comparativelv low.
| But this sharp decline must eventually lnvig.
or to demand, aud demand Will stlfen prices
LedDer. MonuaY.
The vnsious coal carrying and producing
interests in Philadelphia unanimously agreed
"Wednesday last upon q continuation of the
present working plan for the next two weeks
Operations will be resumed on Monday, but
suspension will follow on Thursday, Friday
and saturday, and be repeated on the three
days beginning May Is. An advance of 2I
per cent. in the Eastern prices of stove Goa
was also agreed upon, to take effect on the
10th OF May.