The San Francisco call., 1897-01-01
THE COAL TRADE.
Prices During 1896 Were the Lowe

Prices During 1896 Were the Lowest
- Ever known.
The annual circular of l. qSteuart gives the re-
ceIpts of coal al his port in 1896 at .1,296, 900
tons against j AIS, 200 tons in S95. Last years
receipts were as follows: Australian, 241, 800
tons:o Great Britain, 14s,9OO: British. Columbia.
4S7lOO; Eastern, 17,7O0; seattle, 134,20O;
Tacoma, 26S,9U0; Coos Bay 49, 100; other mines,
1900
The circular says: ,"In my annual report of
last year l stated that the people of the state had
Teaped the benefit of cheaper fuel than ever before
known in the history OF. California. The year Just
ended, however, outslrips ali previous records in
respect 10 prices OF Australian coal, low grade
steam Goals from Australia having been sold here
in considerable quantities By the cargo as low as
So rs per ton, while prices of English anthracite
coal have ruled higher than last year; the hlghest
price of australian coal during he year being
s5 25 per ton, and th& highest price OF English
ton in price of a australian Goals this year. as
against the previous ears prices, being s 90 per
ton. and the average increase on price OF English
anthracite coal being 81 % per ton during same
periods.
.Itis gratifying to note that the consum p,ion of
coal throughout the Stale for the year now ended
has been iully up 10 the average notwlt hstandlng
the fact tina OIL water power, electricity and
natural gas nave been utilized to a arge extent Tor
power and other manufacturing purposes, super
seding the of coal in such instances which
certainly is satisfactory evidence Of the pro-
gr~ssive aDd growing requirements OF the state.
'"With all these aids 10 prosperity the State
lacks most essential element necessary 10
promote its more rapid growth and general devel-
upment, and that Is cheap internal transportation.
Wnen this has been achieved then an ela of true
prospe rityoca mot fail 20 dawn on
The deliveries of coal at Port Los Angeles and
san Pedro were 'l12r6U0 tons and at San Diego
4O,OLO tons, together $4,000 TONS making the
to- al imports here and in the south l'449'5o0
tons"
The circular Of ]. w. Harrison says: Our con-
sumption of coal this year is over 10 per cent less
than 10 1895, which is an assurance that the out
going year has not been profitable one for our
manufacturing indu tiles There is no article of
commerce which so quickly evidence prosperity
g versity as TuePAir is the lnfalliDle indca-
tor This Is demoastra ed clearly in our case
livery. branch of business will snow a dlscouraging
balance sheet for $685. ed partially by the low
prices for of roducts, and partly il being
Presidential election year, causing s. much lack
of conftence in comm ercial circle. Now the
cleo ion is over, our coming harvest promises
we'll foreign markers r. liberal obuyers of Our
products at full figures. and unless all premoni-
TO signs fail we should have banner year be-
fore US.
low for the past twelve months, the lowest on
record hence the failure OF our local factories to
make money. cannot be attribute 10 their ;uel ex-
pense. The extremely cheap Australian. offered
he. e has diminished the imports of British (oum-
bia and seattle Goals fully 20 per cent. hut values
are now shaping hems sel yes 'or an advance. bence
our coast coal trade should become m iterialv en-
1arged. Crude oil has lost a.number of lis former
consumers, it ceased to be classed economical
with cheapcoa competitors We are promised
lbera shipments in the near fu' ure from he Cor
raj Hollow colliery its contigufty market should
ma Ike It formmidable com petitor In 1897.
.'Coke-1he to-al arrivals this year have been
SO 132 tons, over so per cent more than IN 1895.
uliy % per Ceut VI LHl9 WAS lHllOIltu'iIOm
land and Eeigium. regular monthly shipments
may be shortly expec ed from British Colum bia,
where iarVe ovens have been recently erected, The
quantity to come from Great Britain must become
materially d i'm nished in 1897.
Pig Observation-Disclosures 6 the low values
named this year for The American product, the
importation OF foreign nave been S1S9 tons. The
marHet price has favored the consumer this wear,
not The impor.er: There were 1l16 tons of for
eign scrap IRON received.
'.The general belief prevails that this branch of
trade Will prosper this year the rainfall to date
has been most seasonable and the outlook is most
encouraging for our cereals finding remunerative
markets. a bountifu. harvest means profitable
year for all interested in the coal and metal
trade"