Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1890-05-29
Weekly Coal Report.

The anthracite coal trade is quite
dull for the domestic sizes, excepting for
choice brands of hard Lehigh and Ly-
kens Valley Goals. For the furnace and
other manufacturing sizes the demand is
excellent, but the supply of pea and
buckwheat coal is better and the prices
for them consequently easier. There has
been some complaint about excessive
tonnage made or carried by one or two
companies last month and this, but the
markets have apparently taken the coal.
The general sales agents of the several
large anthracite mining and transporting
companies met at New York on Tuesday
to discuss the question of an advance in
prices, but what determination they
reached is rather uncertain on account
of the present condition of the coal
trade.
A number of collieries in the Schuyl-
kill anthracite region which have been
idle for months resumed operations on
Monday. Several collieres in the
Luzerne, Shamokin and Wyoming re-
gions which were idle for some time past
started mining again last week.
The Engineering and Mining Journal of
Saturday, in its weekly review of the
coal trade at New York, says: The an
thracite coal market may be described
as in very quiet though satisfactorily
firm condition. During the past week
there has been no unsual activity, and
the demand keeps fully up with the sup
ply at full rates. A good deal of coal has
until within few days been moving on
April contracts The expected increase
in price at the next meeting of the sales
agents has had no appreciable effect on
the market other than to increase the
prevailing confidence in the present state
of trade and the belief that the summer
will pass over without any reaction from
the present quiet and firm tone. Refer
ring to the apparent difference or pro-
portlonate discrepancy between the ton
mage shipment up to May 18th and the
tonnage award for the month (2,500, 1000
tons), it is satisfactorily explained that it
will be adjusted without any appreciable
effect. Overshipping has of late been
rare, and only one concern is said to have
shipped much more than it was entitled
to. These questions of tonnage will be
settled at the meeting of the sales agents
on the 9th instant, as will the output
for June. 1t is about concluded that the
increase in prices will be Is cents per ton
on broken, egg and chestnut and 25 cents
SNO'Ss LhO uCihduu lOi ouhS Wiii
about reach 2,750, 900 tons, and that, it is
expected, will be the limit. The fact
that all the April-May coal has been de-
livered will make this quantity neces-
sary. With the expected upward ten
dency broken and egg are very firm, but
pea is weak and will be weaker before it
picks up. The f. o. b. quotations of the
large companies are: Broken $3.40, egg
$3. 40, stove $3.50, chestnut 1926. Indi-
vidual operators are not going much
lower, except where small concessions
are made for large contracts on suitable
terms; in fact, on some sizes certain of
the Independent operators are holding
even above the company's rates."
The total amount of anthracite coal
sent to market for the week ending
May 18th, as reported by the several
carrying companies, was III, 7,097 tons,
compared with 679, ,4l6 tons in the cores
ponding week last year, an increase of
81 6S1 tons. The total amount of an
thracite mined thus far in the year 1890
was 10, ,59S, ,597 tons compared with 10 ,S37-,
9l3 tons for the same period last year, a
decrease of 239, PIG tons.-Ledqer.