Birmingham state herald., 1897-02-26

but 1t is what would happen unless the present conditions are changed.
 The present river tolls are such that the West Virginia and Alabama opera tors are ena bled to compete with the To- cal operators in every large southern market. As a result of this fact the southern opera tors have been enabled to secure several large contracts for coal recently, which, with free rivers, would have been secured by Pittsburg opera tors
 The southern operators have the ad- vantage of being nearer the markets, and have less to contend with, but these advantages, in the opinion of the local operators, could be easily overcome with free navigation. That there are good grounds for believing this to be so Is shown by the fact that while 10000. 900 bushels of coal went out on the last flood 1t has not resulted in the resumption of a single mine. There was no market for this coal, and the operators say they sent 1t south to get rid of 1t as soon as possi- ble, and will not mine any great amount m the future until more favorable condi- tions are obtained.
 Capt. John Dravo. president of the Pittsburg Coal Exchange said that in all his experience in the coal business since 1840 he has never seen conditions as they are at present. Something must be done to remedy the matter. A new market is almost out of the question. and it is Mr. DraVo's opinion that free navigation is the only thing which will prevent the river mining district from soon being thing of the past.-Pittsburg Dispatch.
 The above frank confession from as reliable and well informed a source as the Dispatch brings to memory the at- tempts of many Pennsylvania coal oper- ators, as also some of the newspapers of the Keystone State in times past to make light of the Alabama coal fields, and the competition they and the West Virginia coal and coak was predicted to bring later on. Upon the rise upon which the 10,000,000 to 100000 bushels above re- ferred to was sent down, upwards of 6,000,000 bushels was reported to have passed Louisville for New Orleans and other lower Mississippi river points, This, too, in the face of the claim by Pittsburg coal men that coal had been selling the entire summer, fall and win ter at less than the cost of it delivered along the Mississippi. Another point is, that this shipment of some 6,000, GOO bush els was made when the Pittsburg coal men claimed that there was enormous overstock of their coal al New Orleans and other lower Mississippi points, all of which would seem to demonstrate that enormous sacrifices are being made by the Pittsburg operators to maintain a hold upon the river coal trade south of Cairo.
 The coal of the Birmingham district is steadily encroachng upon their trade, as is shown by the fact of more of it having been in the last thirty days con- tracted to river lines of steamers upon the Mississippi; to ocean lines of steam ships at New Orleans, as also to elec- tric power and light companies sugar plantations, etc., during the last thirty days, in the face of the oversupply of cut-price Pittsburg coal, than ever be- fore. It is based upon our great re- sources in coal and cheaper, shorter haul, that we have recently got those contracts for about 100000 tons of coal from this district and like our iron man. ufacturing superiority over the north and of Europe, etc., is bound to become generally known.