The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1881-05-28

The Coal Trade.
We have little change 10 report in an
thracite coal the past week, says Mondays
Ledger. The supply of coal is gradually
shortened from week to week. Some dealers
in coal contend that it is in good condition,
while others claim 10 believe that the de-
mand for coal is active and prices firm. The
more sanguine in the trade are in favor of
an advance in prices next month, and say
that it will be accomplished il the combi-
nation has to order restriction in work
that will embrace five days in each week.
The officers of the Philadelphia and Read
ing Coal and Iron Company report that they
are not seeking orders. The market, as far
as can be ascertained, is in very fair con-
ditiOn, and an average business is reported
by the different classes of the trade. With
the line and city trade orders are scarcer
than during last week, and the middlemen
report that sales are hard to effect With
shippers there are plenty Of orders, but COM
plants are made Of shading in prices to in
duce orders. Vessels are scarce in conse-
quence of better inducements offering in
other lines Of freight. For this reason orders
have accumulated, and many shippers find
themselves embarrassed by lack of trans
portation facilities. The supplies on hand
are sufficient TO meet the demand. The coal
company presidents will probably meet this
week and settle the question Of full or partial
work. The Pottsville Miners journal talks
of the anthracite coal trade very much the
same as do the leading operators in the other
coal regions. 1t says: "The demand con-
tinues light for all sizes of anthracite except
those used for manufacturing purposes, and
there are no indications of an early change.
The production is kept down so as to pre-
vent too great accumulation Of coal at
tidewater points, and this judicious restric-
ton will be kept up until there is change
for the better 1t would seem that the mis-
take of last year is to be repeated by the
heavy dealers in anthracite, and that is, to
postpone purchases for all stock not sbsoiute-
ly needed until the later months of the year.
This left many Of them with short stocks
when the cold weather came on, and the
difficulties of transportation increased the
cost considerably oyer what it would have
been had they stocked up earlier. This ad
vanced the cost to the consumer, and there
was general outcry against the operator
and transporter, who were inveighed against
as monopolists and extoit itionists, when
they had no agency in producing the con-
dition of things that led to the higher prices.
Coal can be mined and transported cheaper
in the mild seasons than in the winter, and 4,
therefore, can be bought at cheaper prices.
If the dealers neglect to purchase their sup
plies when the market is most favorable,
and the consumers suffers thereby the blame
should rest upon them, where it properly
belongs. Notwithstanding that last year
was what is called good year for the ope.
rator, it was only so in contrast with the
previous years, when most of the coal was
sold below the cost of mining it, There was
J just sufficient advance in prices obtained
last year to allow fair business profit on
the Investment. This year the prices rule
about the same as last year, and they will
not be advanced until the fall. So that the
time 10 stock up is now, if the interest OF
the consumer is to be in the least consulted, p
: The Engineering and Mining journal says
: "There is still very fair business doing al
prices as firm or firmer than they have been
for long time past. Still some say that
: coal has been accumulating, although they
think that half time work for the rest Of the
+ month will improve matters in that respect
: There is more talk of an advance in price:
! on June lst than there was, but it is moi
, thought that such action will be taken, be.
5 cause it would tend to encourage the miners
: TO strike, and furthermore, because an ad-
!, vance would most probably be on paper on
4 ly. Some sizes of coal might be sold fol
= slightly better prices, but the low price o
bituminous coal would make it very unwis,
3 ior the anthracite producers 10 advance thei
+ prices on steam Goals. They have already
e lost considerable trade and are threatened
! with still greater loss from this competi
tion, even with the present prices. Their
n are strong indications of an impendin!
! strike among the anthracite miners. Tn,
h uneasiness is al present mostly, if not en-
o tirely, confined to the Wyoming and Lacka
J wanna districts. We do not think that ther
q is any probability of the miners becoming
n sufficiently organized TO make genera
= strike, and il they DO there would pro
baby, under any circumstances, be a sufi
cient number of colleres at work TO NEE