The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-09-20
GENERAL NEWS
OF INDUSTRIES

WIN ktiOEGuCe W tuo hubukoOltO 1ndCs
After remarking that the market is no
worse now than at any time during the
past month or six weeks. 1t declares
that, 'all rumors to the contrary not
withstanding, prices are no lower than
they have been of late. The majority
Of the sales at extremely low figures,
such as, for instance $2s$3 10 for stove,
have been of stock coal. which could
have not been disposed of save at these
low prices The people who circulate
such reports upjustly neglect to qualify
them by mentioning the grade
Of coal sold. and thus the i'm
preston gains ground that all Goals
are selling at such prices. The
trade 10 in q bad enough condition
without the necessity of further ag-
gravatlng 1t by puch needlessly psssi-
mistic reports. To our own knowledge
good stove coal has sold during the
week for SO so. 1t is a difficult matter
to quote prices which shall fairly rep
resent the market, as in the absence OF
any business Of consequences such a
thing as actual prices is impossible to
obtain. However, we should say that
fair quotations, il anything rather low.
would be today: Stove, SO 25,3 35;
chestnut and egg. SO, 2OA3 3O broken,
$S 15a3.25. The highest grades. OF
course, command higher prices, just as
an odd cargo of rusty or slatey coal
might sell for less
"During the past few days. except
nf To-
dealers in New York city have done
better business and their coal has
moved more freely than for some time
They have not bought much coal. how
ever and this is encouraging TO the
producers, since by the depletion Of
stocks in dealers yards and by the
continuance of the policy of restric-
tion better prices ought, in the natural
order Of things. to obtain month
hence. Certainly. no one expects that
there will be a scarcity Of coal at any
time this year, but the sales agents
ara unanimous in declaring that
we shall not be treated again
to the stupid and demoralizing
overproduction of June or even July.
On the other hand dealers and other
consumers here seem to believe that
any increase in the demand will be fol
lowed by corresponding increase in
the production, which will render i'm
posi- BILE any great advance in prices,
since all the producers will be eager to
sell their coal to offset the period Of de-
preston through which we are pass.
ing. Therefore consumers affect to be
lieve that there is no need 10 make
haste in replenishing stocks which are
not yet low enough to cause them any
anxiety. The market Of late mas been
all In the buyers favor. Whether it
will continue to be so longer it is diff
cult to say"
Apropos of the recent rapid and re-
markable growth OF the trolley passen =
ger railways throughout the state, the
Philadelphia Times, in an opportune
editorial, points out that the law which
authorizes trolley railways to take pos
session of our public highways was
passed on May IA 1889. and will be
found in the pamphlet laws OF that
year on page 211. when it was en-
acted the trolley system was practie-
ally unknown, although the use of
electricity as a motive power for local
roads was then regarded as one Of the
coming improvements OF the age. 1t
goes without saying that had
the legislature appreciated the
growth of the trolley system
it would have made entirely diff
ferent provisions for the right Of way.
Instead of giving the right to use
public highways By merely satisfactory
contracts with township supervisors.
the use Of the highways would have
been prohibited generally, and the right
Of way would doubtless have been
given to the trolley corporations az it
is now obtained by other railroads; that
is, by purchase or condemnation. When
the last legislature was in session the
trolley system was yet in its infancy
and gave little promise Of extending
over the highways Of the state and no
immediate legislation was deemed nee
essary; but the next Legislature will
Acertainly have to meet the problem and
solve it by protecting the public high =
ways and giving the right of purchase
or condemnation to such corporations.
''The act of 1889 was obviously in
tended solely to enable street railways
in towns and cities to extend their
tracks outside of the corporate limits
for the general accommodation Of subur-
ban residents. In order to accomplish
that the railway computes were au.
thorized to contract with the proper
authorities of the townships and turn.
pike companies to enable them to ex-
tend their lines. Unfortunately the
legislature did not deem it necessary to
place any restriction whatever on the
extent to which this grant should be
exercised, and it Is under the present
entirely unexpected conditions that the
trolley systems are enabled to travel
the public highways in any part of the
state by simply contracting with the
road supervisors of the township
The local supervisors, as a rule,
are not men who should be
charged with the power of grant
ing such extraordinary privileges to
corporations, and the legislature OBJ
viously did not intend that such power
should be exercised by them beyond
permitting the street railways of cities
and boroughs to skirts the suburbs for
the accommodation of the public Now
that the trolley has become the railway
of the people, and is likely to grow
with great rapidity, the legislature
will necessarily be compelled to define
with precision the terms on which II
shall obtain the right of way. The
wise method would be to protect the
highways for the use of the people in
ordinary travel. and give the trolley
corporations the right to take property
by condemnation when necessary to
perfect their lines The trolley il
here. and it is here to stay, and it 10
clearly the duty Of the legislature to
define unmistakably the rights OF these
corporations, and also the rights Of the
people in their own highways"
A new element which many think
will prove something Of q stumbling
hlook In tho path nf Raadin0 ranr0on-