The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-10-08
TIE COAL QUESTION.

The recent advance in the retail price of
coal and the current rumors that new coal
famine is impending are leading to some
study of the coal situation. For some three
or four years the trade has figured that the
consumption of coal in San Francisco and
its suburbs amounts to between l, 100, coo and
1,900,OOO tons yearly-uearly 100000 tons a
month. For the first nine months Of the
current calendar year the receipts from all
sources have been 747. $50 tons, as against
s15.5SS tons Outing the same period of 1889.
and $4,000 for the same period OF 1888. We
arc, therefore, short of our usual supply.
But a close examination of the books Of
Wholesale dealers leads to the conviction
that San Frauci>cO consumes more coal than
S generally reckoned - that our average
consumption is nearer 500, 900 tons year,
or 125,0C0 tons a month, than any smaller
figure. This will seem less surprising when
the output of the mines on this continent,
and their shipments to this port, are footed
up. The following table gives the present
average yearly receipts of coal at San Fran
cisco from the sources mentioned:
Average Yearly
shipments to
Mines. San Francisco.
Washington mines Observation-Disclosures. 60O,O00 tons
I....
Mount DiabIo................... ..... $4,000 tons
100000 tons
To this must be added, in order to COM
plete the coal receipts at this port imports
from Australia Great Britain, the Eastern
States and Wyoming. At this particular
moment the coal-miners' lockout in Aus
tralia has checked shipments from there,
and the scarcity of cars on the Union Pa
cifc has put stop to the movement of coal
from Rock Springs. But these are tenn
porary accidents which will cease to oper-
ate. When they do and coal begins to move
as formerly, it will probably turn out that
the aggregate receipts of coal at this port for
the twelvemonth ending June 80. 1891, will
not fall far short of 1,5o0, 900 tons.
The misfortune for the hOus ehold con-
Sumer is that large proportion of the coal
received here is Ignite. unNllitrd for house
hold use. That is the case with the whole
output of the Mount Diablo mines and with
a large pr1l orion Of the Puget Sound coal
these fuels are only suited for steam use in
stationary engines. The Coos Bay coal is
adapted for household use, but it generates
heat so slowly that it is probably more
economical for consumers to buy the Well
lngtOn coal at 81 more per ton. When
GLN IdLb wi uCl III IOdl pun up Vic pilC6 Vi
coal, Mr.. Aliens house imported a consider
able quantity of Wyoming coal, which gave
satisfaction. But the freight from Rock
Springs to this city is 81 per short ton, and
when Wellington was laid down here at
50 per long ton, there was nothing in the
business.
The cheerful feature in the situation is
the preparations which are being made to
iur q pnr Nf
1St the Mount Diablo mine will add largely
10 its output, and will relieve the pressure
of stationary engines on the market to that
extent About the same date the New We'll
lngtOn mine will be opened on Vancouver,
and it is reckoned that it will add consider
ably to the output of bituminous coal. The
output of the mine owned jointly by the
Southern Pacific and the Dunsmuirs on
Vancouver Island is likewise increasing,
and the same may be said of several mines
in the Puget Sound country. These devel-
opments are the more welcome as, until
the relations between the Australian mine
owners and their hands are placed on a per-
manent basis, our supply from that source
must be precarious.
So long as coal commands fancy prices in
San Francisco, it will be difficult to estab-
fish extensive industries here. Cheap fuel
is the key to manufacturing; dear fuel is an
obstacle.
With the knowledge which consumers
now have of a probable short supply, it is
likely they will prepare TO use as small
quantity of coal as possible. Under such
circumstances we do not believe the owners
Of coal will be able to advance the price
as much as was at one time anticipated.
Wood will also be substituted in place OF
dear coal in many instances.