Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1886-03-13

Profit and royalty to shipper. 10 -"
The slight difference in shipping charges
and vessel freights, between gas and steam
Goals arise from the different modes of ship
ment and points of delivery in New York
harbor.
The several items of cost may vary in the
Goals of Pennsylvania, Virginia and West
Virginia, but the results are unrcmuncrative
to all.
Economical and prudent management has
been of necessity the rule among our opcr-
ators. The wages paid to our miners have
been only a fair return for their labor; and they
are now making a demand for an advance
of % per cent, which it is utterly impossible
for the operators to grant, even under the
existing tariff. The transporter as the fore
going figures will show, has been pressed
down to, and in some cases under the lowest
remuneratve point.
Notwithstanding all efforts to reduce cost,
the return to the operator has not been more,
and in many cases less, than he paid for the
coal in the ground. Any further reduction
must come from the labor, which is as low as it
should be in this country for such labor, for
pray bear in mind that coal is not-as some
advocates Of Free Trade procaim-a ma
terial. In all the operations of mining and
transportation Skilled tabor is needed to pro-
duce coal as it is known in the market The
value of the ''rdW nateriar'--the coal itself in
the grounds but Il minute portion Of the
cost of coal as it is known to commerce.
During the same period QSS5) Provincial
Goals sold in our eastern markets at about s3
for steam Goals, and $3.50 for gas Goals, af-
fordng to the Provincial operators hand
some return.
With this difference in price between the
two Goals, the market has been supplied, in
part from each source; but make the differ
ence as much greater as will result from pla
cling coal on the free list, and yen largely in
crease the consumption of Provincial Goals.
The inevitable result of this must be a dimin-
ished output by the American producers a
consequent abandonment of work by some
operators in portions of the eastern fields, and
4 check to this important industry which it
will require years to overcome, when the ru-
inous result Of the proposed measure, if adopt
ed shall have been demonstrated.
The Provincial mines are located near tide,
none of them more than 25 miles distant,
many of them from . to miles; in which lat
ter case, their product is brought from the
pits mouth in the mine cars and dumped di-
rectly therefrom into vessels. Their coal is
produced by labor costing little more than
hai' what it costs in this country, and Is
shipped here almost entirely in foreign bottoms,
at much lower freights than.prevail for Amer
lean Goals. This applies in great measure to
the shippers of English Goals, who, though
more distant than the Provincial mines from
our markets. have the advantage of frequent
ly being able to ship their Goals to this country
i'll lie" Of ballast at nominal rates of freight
The steam and gas coal mines of this country
are located from 2O0 to 800 miles from tide,
and our product is mined, brought out, sent
to tide, and shipped coastwise, at the hghe'
prices paid for all classes Of labor IN this country
The coal operatOr of Our own countrv has