The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-10-13
Industrial and Commercial.
MINE, MILL and RAILROAD.

MINE, MILL and RAILROAD.
In its review of the weekly statement
of production the Philadelphia Daily
Stakeholder says: THE anthracite coal
producing companies of the Wyoming,
the Lehigh and Schuylkill regions have
started off the month of October with
the firm determination not to exceed
the allotment in output. The figures
for the first week of the month are,
therefore, of unusual interest. They
show slight excess in average, and if
continued the remainder Of the month
the excess above the amount decided
upon would be nearly 100000 tons. Ship
ments for the week, which aggregate
754,7O7 tons, decreased no less than 25O,-
Q59 tons, nearly one-half Of which was
contributed by the Schuylkill region.
The Reading, however, has peculiarly
happy faculty Of catching up at the end
of the month so that the decrease of
lO72S6 tons has no special significance,
except to indicate the willingness of the
company to abide by the determination
to restrict the output to the estimated
requirements of the market, The point
has been made that, no matter how dull
the coal trade may be, so long as there
Is tonnage movement. the carriers will
not suffer. This is erroneous. The
freight weight Is based upon the selling
price Of coal, being 40 per cent. thereof.
A year ago when coal was selling on a
basis Of S4.25 the freight was $1.70 per
ton. On basis of 1925 the freight rate
ts $1.30 per ton, the difference of 40 cents
being the loss to the carriers. A practi-
cal application, made on the September
tonnage, was not far from 3 1-3 million
tons. The loss through a reduction
would amount to l 1-3 million dollars.
In many cases the carrier was the
miner. This, however does not alter
the case in the least"
Saward finds little evidence Of change
in the anthracite situation. He thinks
the outlook "is fair for all grades. The
anthracite producers are keeping the
tonnage down to very moderate one,
and In this they are acting wisely, for
the demand does not keep pace with the
productive capacity, as is we'll known,
and, therefore, there is the necessity for
a proper supervision of this feature In
order that the market price of the COM
modify may be remunerative one. At
present the agreement for the month Of
October Is being adhered to, and there
is nothing to warrant any other view
being taken of the situation except one
that is OF good for the trade at large.
1t is Of not the remotest value to anyone
in the trade to have fluctuating prices
for commodity of such intrinsic merit
as is anthracite. An effort to secure
further tonnage by increasing the area
of consumption under a less rate of
transportation on lines not usually
classed as coal carriers should be made
before the active business of another
season is entered upon. At New York
there is a better feeling in the anthra-
cite trade circles and the market is for
the first time in many weeks in the
hands of the producers; they have very
wisely put the output in such shape as
to guarantee the maintenance of the
list which they have agreed means the
market price Of coal; not the circular
rate, but rate at which sales are made.
In this they are acting a very wise
part and 1t is so much different from
what has heretofore been the rule that
the dealers and buyers are taking some
what of courage as to the future of
trade conditions. We can see no reason
for their not doing so. In soft coal
circles in the New York market there
is plenty of talk of cheap coal, and one
hears of prices which seem to distance
all competition they are so low, and
yet at the same time there are quota
tions for the better grades of coal that
are up to the list price or nearly so.
1t is the same story the better Goals
bring the price, while the inferior grades
run as near thereto as the ingenuity OF
the seller can reach"
The itinerary of President George
B. Roberts and those who will accom-
pany him on the annual inspection OF
the Pennsylvania railroad systems Is
as follows: Monday, Oct. 10, leave
for Altoona; 16 Altoona
to Pittsburg; II, inspection Of lines
about Pittsburg; IS, Pittsburg to Gin
10, Cincinnati to Louisville; 20,
Louisville to st. Louis, via Indianap-
oils; q, at st. Louis inspecting termi-
nails, etc.; night of Oct. q, st. Louis to
Chicago; %, at Chicago; 2S Chicago to
Cleveland, via Alliance; "a, Cleveland
to Ashtabula, thence to Erie, via Law
renee Junction; rs, Erie to Buffalo; 26,
Buffalo to Williamsport, via Larabee,
Clermont and Johnsonburg; q, Will
Transport to Philadelphia, leaving the
former city at $50 a. m. The distance
to be travelled aggregates 1855 miles.
The Iron Age reports Of the iron trade
show an increase Of one furnace in
blast on Oct. /, as compared with Sept.
|, and an increase in the weekly capac-
Ity of S,616 tons. The weekly capacity
of Ill furnaces In blast on Sept. l was
ISL, ,l13 tons, and the weekly capacity OF
l72 furnaces in blast on Oct l was 159,-
i29 tons. This output compares with
1886 tons on Aug. l and 62,5l7 tons
on June /, which was the minimum for
years. The apparent consumption of
iron in September was some $4,000 tons
more than the production, but it Is
known that the ordinary figures are
sometimes misleading. In the present
Instance the increased production has
brought about violent competition
which Is almost as damaging as stag
nation. The price of iron has fallen re-
Gently and many concerns are work.
ng at loss. The Iron Age expresses
the opinion that the maximum of pro-
iuction has been reached for the pres
ent.
The first engine and train was run |
over Vanwickle's new Beaver Meadow
railroad on Thursday last. The road |
with the Jersey Central near
Silver Brook, and it was one Of the lat
ter company's engines that made the |
trip. The opening up of this branch |
means large increase In coal tonnage |
FOR the Jersey Central road, as it will |
receive much Of the patronage of the |
different collieries in the Beaver
Meadow district.
The Philadelphia and Reading Rail-
road company reports the coal trans |
ported over its lines for week ending |
Oct. 6, as follows:
Cor'sd'g week.
1894 1893. Dec. |
Total for week.. 2S5,17s SlS,O2s S2,S5l
..,... 9,S23,919 106SS, ,261 814,41 |
Total for year.. ..1OO5s,O95 1O,s5G,2Ss Ss7lsS