The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-08-28
WHY CLEVELAND FAvoRs FREE
COAL.

He is a Member of the Whitney Coal Syn
dycate-Looking After Grover at the
Expense of the American People.
New England uses six million tons OF
bituminous coal every year. About
two-thirds of this goes from Newport
News. Norfolk, Baltimore and Phlla-
delphia, by water transportation, the
remainder by rail from all the soft co~a
districts of Pennsylvania.
Nearly all the coal from Newport
News and Norfolk is from the Poca-
hontas and Flat Top Mines in Virginia
and the Eastern border of West Vir-
ginia, and is transported by rail an av-
a of over one hundred miles to
those seaports. The coal shipped from
Baltimore is from the Cumberland and
Georges Greek Mines in Maryland and
the mines in West Virginia. The rail
transportation will average over one
hundred miles. The coal shipped from
Philadelphia is partly from the Cum
berland and Georges Greek Mines in
Maryland and partly from the soft coal
districts in Eastern and Middle Penn
sylvania, and the rail transportation is
about the same distance as to the other
cities.
Of the six million tons of bituminous
coal used in New England, nearly two
thirds is sent from the cities named,
the remainder going by rail from the
soft coal districts of Pennsylvania.
Lewiston, Nova Scotia, the shipping
port of the Whitney Coal Trust, is
nearer to the New England ports than
Philadelphia, the nearest American
coal port. The rail transportation is
but a few miles over a road which be-
longs to the Trust. With cheaper labor
in the mines, a shorter haul by rail
over a cheap road which transports
only coal, with cheaper ships and
cheaper labor on them, the Whitney
Coal Trust can drive out American coal
from New England and supply the en-
tire demand at probably a cost of fifty
cents per ton less than is now paid.
That does not, however, any re-
duction in the prices of the goods nan
ufactured. At the present price of
coal, the cost of fuel is less than one
per cent. of the total cost of manufac
ture, and the difference in the price of
coal would not effect the cost of man.
ufacture one-tenth Of n per cent.
But the supplying of New England
with coal from Nova Scotia will seri
ously affect American interests. 1t
will reduce the income of the railways
which transport coal direct to New
England and to the seaports from
which it is shipped to New England, 1T
least SO, 900, 900. That will necessarily
force an increase on other freight5.
American vessels in the coastwise trade
will lose s., 600, 900 worth of freight,
and that will cause them to raise the
prices of other freights. Several thou
sand miners and other employees focal
mines will be thrown out of employ
ment, for the coal product now is
greater than the demand, and any fall
ing off in the demand forces a reduc
ton of the product.
There a be no good result from
free coal, except to the Dominion Gov
eminent, which will get 1920, 600
royalty on the six million tons sent to
New England; and to the Whitney
Coal Trust, which can easily clear ct
least one dollar per ton, or a total Of
Sc, 600, 600 on the New England trade
Cincinnati Commercial.
There is quite a loss of time during