The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-08-10

wyoming Goa! Company. is quoted as
follows:
The key to the present situation In 'he
hard coal industry is in the prohibltvc
rates charged by the transportation COM
panios; and the remedy lies not in re.
stricting production but in increasing con-
sumption. With cooperation on the part
oil the coal carriers this could be done
easily, and conditions are now ripe for it,
1t is nonsense to say that the CUnsump-
ton of hard coal has not been materially
affected by the competition of bituminoGs
coal and gas. Every dealer In the coal
trade knows that it has been. 1 was taxi
ing with one of them yesterday and was
told that whereas few years ago two
hundred to three hundred carts came
into his yard every morning for coal 10
bc peddled In small quantities, now thera
is practically none, and the same falling
off is noticeable throughout the trade
But the market for steam sizes, with
which am most familiar, is simply wait
ing for an adequate supply at a .air
price. In many lines of manufacturing
anthracite coal could and will eventually
drive soft coal out of the market.
FREIGHT RATES.
New England factories are ready today
to take from 5000, 900 to 5000, 900 tons per
could guarantee them n regular supply.
Our rice coal, which is obtained by work
ing over the culm heaps, costs from So
cents to 45 cents at the breaker, but we
have to pay Sl.20 to get 1t to tidcwater a
haul of little more than one hundred
miles, while the soft coal is carried 800
miles for less freight. Hard steam coal
could stand rate of half n cent per ton
per mile. as against one-flfth of n cent
for bituminous, although the cost Of
hauling is practically the same; this rate
would make the cost for hauling to tide
water about rs cents per ton, ana would
open an immense market for the small
sizes of anthracite. Moreover, it would
he practically a new market; the carriers
would get a large amount of new busi-
ness, and the producers would have a
new outlet for 5000 600 tons per annum or
more of coal in sizes which are now prac-
tCally lost.
The conditions prevailing today depend
to some extent on lack of confidence IN
the part of buyers who have not been
able to make up their minds that the low
est price has been reached, and with the
restoration of confidence an Improvement
may be expected to result but the trou-
BILE is much deeper than mere lack of con-
iidence and in order to restore the an
thracite industry to its normal condition
new outlets for the product must he
found.
The Philadelphia Ledger sought in
terviews on President Anthony's state
ment and presents the result at fol-
lows, in part:
Summarizing the views of these gen,le-
men it NAV be stated that the present
condition of the anthracite coal trade is
rot abnormal 1t has suffered for the past
few years in sympathy with all other in
dustres, and it has recovered in about
the same proportion. Every month Of
the present year shows an increase not
only in the amount of coal mined, but in
the amount sCld. The month OF July is
an exception to this, as the returns,
which are not all in yet, will show a de-
crease as compared with the same
month of 1898.
CAUSE FOR DECREASE.
The impre ssion created by suggestions
that there is likely to be Il decrease in
the price of coal through lowering of
the freight rate as made the market
halt for the past month. Buyers who
think coal will be half a dollar or % cents
a ton lower will hold off until they are
compelled to purchase. 1t could not be
learned what action the transportation
companies will be likely to take. but the
impression was gwen that there would
In this connection the reporter made
some inquiries as to the inroadS which
are said to have been made on the an
thracite coal trade by the substitution Cf
bituminous coal in the manufacturing IN
duStres. The impression mas gained
ground that within the past two years
there had been a very considerable
change of this character; that iron mills
are using much more bituminous and
much less anthracite coal. and that for
steam purposes the change has been
much more extensive.
In answer to this, a statement was
made that there has been great change
in the maner of using anthracite coal,
not only for manufacturing. but also for
domestic uses. For nearly every purpose
smaller sizes are used. In the household
smaller coal is used in the heater either
singly or mixed with the larger sizes.
Chestnut coal for the range is giving
place to the pea and even buckwhoat
sizes, while in furnaces for steam pur-