The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1881-09-24

Eno CoaA ETnAO.
The anthracite coal trade during the past
week, says the Philadelphia Ledger, Of the
18th, has quickened considerably, aud the
outlook Of the entire trade is most encourag-
ing. Indeed, the situation is much better
than was expected. One intelligent opera
tor In the trade says the trade has been saw
Cd by the Intervention Of Providence. The
question Of controlling the coal market by
limiting the supply Of coal, which was a
cause Of some diversity Of opinion, has been
reconciled satisfactorily by a drouth SO gem
erai throughout the anthracite coal regions
as to shorten the production Of coal, to the
entire satisfaction Of the producers. The
price Of coal holds up we'll, aud while the
supply is large the stocks on hand do not
increase. The New England coal market
is taking very freely Of the current produc-
ton Of coal, while the demand from the
Western market for anthracite coal is 10 eK-
cess Of the supply as well as Of the facilities
Of transportation. While all this is true af
sec or hear III any disposition to advance
coal prices. The drouth, in shortening sup.
ply, has quite as effectually and more salts.
factorily regulated that matter than any
arbitrary action could possibly have done,
The product Of anthracite coal thus far thii
year is nearly four million tons in excess oi
that tn tha ,orro time I. al yaar Eor the
remaining three months Of the current yeal
II is not likely that this increase will be
continued, from the fact that the tonnage o.
the corresponding three months last yeaI
was unusually large, and there is no stimu
lating cause now TO keep up the present
large production. There is good supply
of orders for coal by nearly all the compau.
les, and at some Of them the demand il
greater than can possibly be met just ut pre-
sent. While the drouth still holds contro
In the coal regions there is no apprehension
that It will much longer interfere with the
trade. 1t is fair to presume, from all the
surroundings, that supply and demand
hence to the end Of the coal year will run
fairly even together, thus removing ell ap
prehension Of any material rise or fall IL
prices or any great excess in supply or fall
ing off in stock. An unusually severe win
ter will no doubt stiffen coal prices, and q
warm winter and lull among iron manu-
facturcn would correspondingly softon Goa
prices. Just at present the outlook for Goa
next year is fairly encouraging, though It il
not absolutely settled one way or another
Prices are not now large, yet fairly iemune
rative, without being so large as to inspir,
over-proiuction with the opening Of a new
year. Our city trade is quiet and the lin,
trade fairly firm. A great base of strength
OF the coal market for next year is It's pre-
sent strength. There are now few crippled
parties in the trade. Nearly the whole trad
is firm, and for good reason. The produc
tion ofanthracite coal is already some a.,
OOo, 900 of tons in excess Of last year. Tn,
net earnings Of the Reading Railroad fo
the fiscal year to July 3lst last past is S.,
779,s92, against 81 700 ,602 to corresponding
time last year, being an increase Of 81 ,O7s,
$50. An estimated increase for the montf
of August is 100000. Commencing 1ss.
thus well in hand in the matter Of casl
means, the outlook for the trade for th,
year cannot be considered other than gen
orally good, and especially SO for the Read
ing, the earnings of which are large ant
promise to increase. As to the matter o
prices the Miners journal says; "That th,
present price Of coal obtained by the pro
ducer Is by no means muni6cent may b
seen by the figures Of last month, when th
average price received for coal at Schuylkil
Haven, the shipping point of the Philadel
phia and Reading Railroad Company, wa
f$2 40 80-l00 per ton, which would maxi
the price average in Philadelphia s. 80
The price obtained for the Same coal a
Schuylkill Haven for the same month o
1879 was only 81 6675-l00, showing gaii
Of "A cents in the ton, which takes up th
loss Of 1879 and allows small margin 70
profit"
The total tonnage Of anthracite coal from
all the regions for the week ending Sept. 10
as reported by the several carrying compau
les, amounted TO 604 ,l28 tons, against 655,
708 tons in the corresponding week las
year, decrease of 81 $50 tons. The tota
amount OF anthracite mined for the year
1921 ,lS6 tons, against l5,007 ,057 tons 70
the same period last year, an increase Of 8
t7l4,l28 tons.
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