The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-02-11
INDUSTRIAL TOPICS.

The Philadelphia Press facetiously
asks: Has the salvation committee
taken up the question of the morals of
the trade?
The market, it is believed, will soon
take all the coal the collieries can pro-
duce. 1t is said every retail coal yard
in New York is almost empty.
Il. F. Crossley. agent of the Reading
company at Chicago, says the cold
weather is increasing the demand for
coal perceptiby, and it is difficult to
supply enough coal in cars; stocks on
hand, however, are still large.
The bill now before the West Virginia
legislature providing that railroad COM
panies shall not deal in coal and coke
and shall furnish reasonable Transport
tation to all companies, will probably
pass. While the measure was intro
duced for the operators, it has since
been indorsed by the railroads.
OF the 100000 tons excess production
in 1895, over and above the allotted
quantity of anthracite, the Wyoming
| region, in which the Delaware. Lacka-
and Hudson companies predominate,
has bagged by far the greater portion,
its proportion of the whole output be-
ing IS per cent, while that of the Lee
high region was 1913 per cent, and that
of the Schuyllill region 31.3 per cent.
The Philadelphia Stakeholder thinks
that if the Olcott committee carries
out its intention to increase the Read
ing's percentage, there is going to be the
biggest fight in theanthracite coal trade
that has yet been witnessed I'd before
the end some interests, beside the Read
ing, will certainly be injured. 1t will
mean for the Jersey Central, the Lacka-
wanna and the Delaware and Hudson,
first, reduction in dividend rates; then
the passing of dividends altogether; and
something worse, if the fight is pro-
longed. Where the Reading will stand
at the end of the fight is a matter that
cannot be safely predicted at this time:
it will not escape serious injury. of
course, but it has less to lose than the
other companies and will probably be
not much worse off than under present
conditions.
The statement of shipments of am
III 'pdl lOT IUe
week ended Feb. 9, shows that the pro-
| ducing companies have scored another
failure in their effort to restrict the out
put. The sales agents agreed at their
meeting in December that. the output
for January should be limited to about
| 100000 tons. Instead of confining
themselves to this total, the companies
produced last month over 500, 900 tons
more than was agreed upon. Since the
| first of the year, or for thirty-three days,
| the shipments have aggregated no less
than 3,206,3l7 tons, an average of 97,16l
| tons. On this basis the Stakeholder fig
ures that the January shipments will
reach 3,0i1 ,99l tons, or 81, ,99l tons more
than had been allotted by the sales
agents. These figures show how little
an agreement by the sales agents can
be relied upon. and illustrates that the
same policy which was so costly to the
companies last year is still in vogue
namely, that of struggling for a large
tonnage regardless of the result it may
| have upon the market generally. How
| long the companies can continue these
| go-as- -you-please methods remains to be
seen, but unless Il turn for the better
] comes soon there will be a crash which
will be felt by all the companies en-.
gagged in the mining and transportation
of anthracite coal.