The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-03-08

MIL, tuO buOLI Iudu OWHch U1 SUAO DLOo'
d Co.. it was stated that the deal
would be most beneficial TO the Lehigh |
Valley. ltis now, however. an open |
question whether such will b. the case
indeed, there is reason TO believe that |
all the advantage and benefit attaching |
to the deal is on the side of Coke Bros. |
q Co. BY using their own cars and |
locomotives they practically become |
independent shippers as thsy have been |
producers, and as such are likely to be
more of lance in the coal trade than
ever before. What is to prevent their |
reducing freight rates to tidewater
whenever they elect? Not their con.
tract with the Lthigh Valley certainly. |
for, according to u gentleman who ex,
amined the contract very closely, II
contains that prevents them from low
ering rates to tidewater If they feel 50
disposed Whether they will do so is
another question, but If COxe Bros. q
Co. want to be consistent they will GER
tainly make reduction. In their
suit against they Lsbigh Valley,
which was instituted several years
ago, and which is still pending in court,
they charged discrimination in coal
freight rates, holding that the rats to
tidewater from the mines was excess
i've II it was excessive then it is ex-
ces5ive now, and Coke Bros. q Co. owe
it to themselves to lower tho rate
either that or withdraw their suit
against the Lehigh Valley. as they
would have but little standing in a
case where they are doing the sam
thing they charge others with doinI.
If they lower the rate the other com
panies would naturally be compelled to
meet the reduction, else COX5 Bros. d
Co. would secure much larger por-
tion of tilewater business than they
now enjoy.
p. F. Laufman, the pioneer tin plate
manufacturer of Pittsburg, says he has
discovered that combine OF Welsh
operators will be formed to nullify
slight advantage which the Wilson bill
has unintentionally given the Ameri
can producers while destroying the pro-
tective duties, Mr Laufm1n has stul-
led the Wilson bill and keeps track of
all the changes in it which affect the
iron interests He discovered few
days ago after having closely watched
the British markets that it was going
to be possible by making close margins
to carry on the tin plate industry in
America even under the Wilson
bill. How close Mr., Laufman figured
on this may be seen from the
fact that in one instance the Amer
leans will have an advantage of only 2
cents on a double box of over 200
pounds Of tinplate Under thu regime
which will be inaugurated with the
passage of the bill, ii it passes in its
present shape, it will be impossible for
Western Pennsylvania IN lnufacturers
to compete in Neastern markets or for
| the eastern manufacturers to sell goods
west of the Allegheny mountains The
reason for this is that the western
manufacturers can produce their own
| block plates cheap enough to meet the
foreign competition, while the Wilson
bill has put the duty on block plates
low enough for the eastern operators
to import and sell them low enough to
meet the foreign competition. And
this is where tine Welshmen will get
in their work They won't send block
plates 10 America, and the eastern Dip
per will, in consequence. be left The
W, stern mills will not suffer 80 much.
In the course Of an extended editorial
discussion of the free coal project the
New York Sun says: ITO measure
III, severity Of the competition to
which American producers would be
subjected by their Canadian rivals, in
case coal should be imported free of
duty, one should take into account the
situation of the Canadian coal fields,
as we'll as the unlimited extension OF
which their output is capable. There
are great deposits on the very edge Of
the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, while
the intervening mines lie for the most
part on the line of the Canadian Paci-
tic railway. Immediately behind Hall
fax, for instance, and closely connected
with it by rail, are the Pictou and
other Nova Scotia coal fields which.
even now, while their product is shut
Off from the American market, turn
out about 1, 900, 900 tons OF coal psr an.
mum. To the northwest is the island
of Cape Breton, around whose fine har-
bors arc numerous mines from which
are raised yearly 1000, 900 tons Of coal
Of excellent quantity for steaming and
other purposes. 1t IL impossible for
coal fields to have moro advantageous
position. for here the mouths of the
pits are in some cases close to the
shore, and rs the mines are carried far
ont under tho sea. ship may load di'
rectly over the spot whence the coal IL
obtained.
If we cross abe continent, we find
tho coal of British Columbia equally
we'll placed for acquiring control Of The
neighboring American markets, IL it is
admitted to them free. 1t should bC
remembered that along the whole Paci
fic coast Of South America there Is M
coal found suitable for steaming pur
poses, nor is there any on the coast oil
North America until we come to Puge
Sound On the American shore on thii
sound there are coal fields now worked
but their product will bs driven from
, our home markets il 1t is exposed t
competition with tho output OF tn,
! richer deposits on Vancouver Island
The annual delivery Of the mines q
Nanaimo and Wellington on.this island
has rapidly risen above million tons,
and is capable Of great expan.
sion. At Nauaimo, moreover, the
principal mine is directly on tho shore.
and the galleries are pushed ont far
under the water, 30 that here, as a
Cape Breton, ships may load immedi-
ately over the place from which tn,
coal ia extracted. There are, there.
fore no charges for transportation from
: the pits mouth to the placs of ship
t ment. Another important coal are
a of the Dominion has lately bsen opened
: in the Rocky Mountain district, 4
few miles from Binff, AMI scarcely
hundred yards from tho line of tn,
y Canadian Pacific railway. mine o
/, anthracite coal is now worked, an
4 many outcropS Of the same deposit ar
found in the vicinity THIS anthracit