The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-05-12
Our Coal Trade in Danger.

If was a keen disappointment to
the business men of this city when it
was understood a few days ago that
the coal contracts which heretofore
were made with the Cumberland in
terest were now made with the Clear
field interests. This feeling of regret
and uneasiness was not confined to
the coal merchants alone. Men in
other lines of trade fear that this loss
to the city may involve other losses.
Cumberland coal was once a most
Important branch of the business of
this city. We had vast advantage
over competing interests. But of late
wears a series of misfortunes have be-
fallen it. The long strikes in the
mining regions fastened the develop
ment of rival coal fields: While the
Cumberland miners were refusing to
work, the Clearfield region was open
ing up to the market. The Penn
sylvania systems of railroads were
brought into the heart of the Mary
land coal fields. The Chesapeake and
Ohio Canal suffered from destructive
freshets and protracted strikes among
the boatman. Meanwhile the Chesa-
peake and Ohio Railroad was open
ing up the Kanawha coal field and
establishing a new rival to Baltimore
at Newport News. Although the
West Virginia mines are fartherfrom
the sea than the Cumberland mines.
the grades to the sea are so much
easier that the cost of transportation
by rail is very cheap. Still other
coal fields are brought into market
by another system of Virginia rail
roads, whose port is Norfolk. These
ports Newport News and Norfolk
have the advantage of being some
two hundred miles nearer the capes
than Baltimore, and the coal is hand
led at these termini by improved
facilities. Thus Baltimore has for
midable rivals all around her, and.
the total loss of the coal trade is seri
ously threatened. But this is not the
only danger. The building up of the
coal trade at Newport News and Nor
folk will aid in building up those
rivals in other departments of bust.
ness, and large part of their growth
must be at our expense. The Clear
field coal trade going off in another
direction will help toswell the growth
of rival already great.
1t is however, idle to waste thought
upon unavailing regrets, 1t is better
to take thought for the future, and
efforts should be directed toward re-
pairing the losses already incurred. In
this case the interests OF the Balti-
more coal trade and the Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad ought to be iden-
teal. 1t cannot be to the interest of
this great line of transportation to
see its rivals carry this valuable
freight wholly away from'it, 1t could
| hardly be to the interest of the Balti-
more and Ohio Railroad to permit
the Pennsylvania lines to ramify all
through our Maryland coal fields, and
carry TO Philadelphia the coal that
might be more cheaply brought to
Baltimore. 1t would seem that its
true interest would lie rather in so
reducing its freight charges as to give
to the city of Baltimore the full bene-
fit of its shorter line from the mines
to the sea. 1t would seem not to be
to the interest either Of the railroad
or the coal trade to put 80 heavy a
charge upon coal transportation as to
make it virtually prohibitory. 1t
would seem that it could hardly
benefit anybody for the Baltimore
and Ohio coal cars to lie idle. 1t
would be better to operate them, even
at very small profit, than not at all.
Indeed, so clearly do the interests of
the railroad seem to coincide with
those of the Baltimore coal trade that
there is a natural expectation that
the railroad will make such conces.
sions as will advance the prosperity
of the city while advancing its own.
-BdltO. american.