The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-09-22

VIII soon overcome Tue Dnu cH6OtS OF
over.p production past and present, but
there is no sign Of activity yet, aud
buyers of coal are of the opinion that
prices will not be advanced except
on paper during the balance Of the sea.
sou. Prices of coal now and in two
former years may be quoted as follows:
(it will be remembe that 1892 was a
favorable and 1891 an unfavorable
Year,
Present Sept. Sept.
Prices. 1894 1891.
DToken. n.''...''''''''''So ~ - w 20 %
Egg. gg.................... j 81 10 10
. oVe..,'','.,.,,,'''.t 20 20 %
Chestnut ........... 3 25 465 3 80
Coal has been sold at much below
the prices in the fret column in New
York. Philadelphia, as is always the
case, does not get the advantage OF the
low prices The official prices here
are:
broken' '''''''''''''''''''F ~
.........''.'''''''''' W
stove. ....................'. 20
Cuestnut. ,.,.'.,..'.',''''''''.' ~
These figures are cut about 20 cents
per ton, so that New York, which is
120 TO $50 miles away from Tho mines,
has an advantage Of from 40 TO so cents
per ton in round figures:
Discussing the Same question the
Philadelphia Inquirer says: 'In view
OF the deplorably condition of the trade
in that month, the utter demoraliza.
tion of prices and the stagnaut demand,
the action of the companies in produc-
ing SO much coal can only be regarded
as an exhibition of incredible folly on
the part of those who have the conduct
OF the trade in their hands. The coal
business in September is worse than it
was in August, and October promises
to be worse than either. In the light
Of these returns it is idle for the sales
agents TO talk of ljjusting the per-
centages and making u new allotment
of quotations. If the companies will
not observe the agreement to restrict
the output when the trade is on the
verge of going, to pieces, they will
not observe anything, Iudeed, the
recent attempt to revise percentages
may be be regarded as dead. The time
has gone by when percentages that
mean anything at all can Re distributed
If any serious attempt were made to
parcel out the anthracite trade among
the producing companies the anti.
trust laws of the nation and state
would be invoked at once, and probl-
bly, with good effect. There is not one
n IN fa1a hA
be willing to assume the position
taken by the old board of con troll
twenty years ago. That was an agree
ment that meant something, and it
was lived up to in very satisfac-
tory way, but way that
is utterly imprssticable in these times
Of social disquiet And yet any agree
ment among the companies, to be bind
ing, must have some force behind it.
and, therefore. must partaks Of the
nature of the board of control con-
tra,t. The proposed allotment by the
sales agents committee is more in the
nature of what ought to be rather
than Of what is practicable. and it will
remain monument OF theoretical
study until the present degenerate days
have passed away and that happy era
has been inaugurated when men en-
gage in business merely for their
health"
"There has, says Saward, "been con-
siderable interest awakened in regard
to the rate charged on anthracite after
it has left what might be termed tho
Initial lines. All that the traffic
will bear, is the luls. We are told that
the Long Island railroad charges 81 per
ton for distance of ten miles, Will 9
the New York Central charges so cents
to 81 per ton for the same distance, or
nearly SO, according to the division of
its lines running out Of New York city,
which the coal passes over. We have
heard of railroads in New England
getting 80 cents per ton for fivs-mile
haul, and there ara many Of them, it is
said, which charge from 2 to cents
per ton. There are places in New ork
state, on lines and to points where
there is no competition. where
24 cents per ton per mile for
quite considerable distance is not
thought to be out of the way. Til
rates on the lines carrying coal to places
in the western states are not out-of.the.
way to the principal cities and towns,
but to places off the main line and to
what might be termed non-competitive
points, the rate is an excessive one.
When the product necessary to fill the
requirements of the market can be pro
duced within 215 days, in the course OF
year, it is easy to be seen that all the
business interests of these places suffer
IL is notable fact that were the con-
sumption of the small sizes OF anthra-
cite not increasing, and therefore
giving employment to the people in the
preparation thereof, the number of
days Of labor accruing to the indivi
duals during the course OF the year
would be less than it is
This weeks Coal Trade Journal
prints the fifty-second number of its
Scenes In the Coal Regions" select
ing as the subject OF its illustration
Storrs' colliery. OF this it says: "This
breaker is situated short distance
north Of Scranton, in Dickson City
borough First shipments, were made
in 1889. It is one of the greatest break
ers of the Delaware, Laokawanna and
Western company, having an actual
output Of 1900 tons daily. There are
three hosting shafts The coal Is
brought by locomotive from these
shafts to the breaker The veins mined
are the Diamond, Clark and Big
The venerable editor of the New York
Sun, insisting upon the idea of a 30 per
cent. ad valorem duty on all imports,
evidently is not aware, says Saward,
that IL this were applied to coal 1t
would mean 81 20 per ton, for the av-
erage of all coal imported into the
country during the last fiscal year was
90 "A ner ton MT tha noint of ahinmant