The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-02-01

All these districts produce bltuminous
coal, aud bituminouS only. There Ia no
gaineaying the fact that 1t is good COAL
better coal than most Of that marketed
from the Pennsylvania mines. Tests
have repeatedly shown this. Coal from
the Block House Mine, in the Sydney dis
trict, have yielded OF New York and Bos-
ION gas works 1885 cubic feet Of l6! can
die gas and 1850 pounds Of coke ton-a
very satisfactory showing. When tried on
board her Maiesty's ship Cannot 1t was
found TO raisesteamti fifteen minutes quicker
than any other coal that had been sup
piled to the ship, and the percentage Of
ash and clinker was very small. Analyses
Of other coal from the same district have
shoWn more than 80 per cent Of carbon,
making It equal to Welsh coal. Tho Cape
Breton coal once had q big reputation in
the United States as gas coal, the aver.
AGE Welding from 5000 10 10000 feet
ton, but the tariff killed the export, and
the reputation Ia probably forgotten. The
Pictou coal has been most used Tor steam
raising, and large quantities Of 1t has been
burned on Atlantic steamers and In the
locomotives Of the InterColonial Railway.
The Cumberland coal has been used for
both steam and house purposes. The re-
poYta OF the users show that both the
Cumberland and Pictou Goals make little
ash, and, when the right appliances are
used, comparatively little smoke.
Tho cost OF coal mined and put on the
cars Is from 90 cents to 81 25 ton. Sur.
face laborers get from s. centg to 81, and
mechanics 81 10 to 81 so day. The wages
Of the coal cutters vary from 81 % to 81 Is
a working day. The mines give employ
ment to about 1900 persons, land the I'M
deTground workers do not average more
than 2l0 working days year. Labor Is
plenty and supplies are cheap.
WHAT THE AMERICAN TARIFF HAS DONE.
With all this excellent coal, with all
these favorable conditions for getting 1t
out, Why is the Nova Scotia coal industry
really 90 Insignificant One word tells
the story, and that woId is tariff"
For thirteen years from 1854 the United
States impoGed no dGty on coal, In those
years the exports from Nova Scotia to the
United States grew from S90OO tons 70
AS 900 tous, the ightest figure, in 1855,
and in 1865, 100000. Then came the duty
Of 81 as a ton, and exports dropped, till ID
1871 they were about 10000 tons. In
1879 the duty was reduced to % cents
tom. where 1t has since remained, but the
reduction only temporarily raised the ex
mort figure, 1t dropping again from s86, 00l
IONS IN 1878 to 1888, 600 in 1874, and $4,000
m 1875. In the next ten years there vert
curious fluctuations, but the general tend
sncy was downward, and in 1885 the ex
ports were but 81, 4sS tons. The United
States Treasury Department reports show
that In'ths year ending June 50, 1885, tht
United States imported 1856 tons from
from the maritime provinces, valued q
S96 900. Flgurea for the year are not .
hand, but, 90 in the two previous years
the trade has not been big enough Il
signify anything except the completeness
Of the ruin brought 10 1t BY the exiahnl
tariff syhtem.
Yet the Cumberland county coal field
are as near Boston by water % are tn
Pennsylvania coal fields, and the Cap
Breton fields are but trihs further. Mos
Of the shipping from Cape Breton 10 iron
sydney Harbor, which is ice bound man
weeks OF every year, but just 70 the sout
lis Louisburg, within dozen miles Of som
Of the mines, with an excellent hArbor,
good In winter a. In summer. Were theE
q reasonable chance 10 make these va
coal deposits available for the industriG