The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-11-15
MILLS WILL CLOSE
e-r---
Unless Conditions Of
Coal Supply Change.
The Country Is Suffering from Too
Much Prosperity.
Soft Coal Cannot Be OBJ
tanned at Any Price.
Mills in Maine Are Burning Wood
at Tremendous Loss.

Prosperity In one part OF the country
is not always a good thing for some other
portion of the country. Today the man
ufacturers in Maine and New Hampshire
are complaining because the rest Of the
country IS 60 prosperous and there Ii q
strong proba bility that unless conditions
materially change within few weeks y
large proportion Of the mills In Maine
ara New Hampshire which depend upon
coal for their power will have TO close.
"This shortage In soft coal has never
been equalled BEFORE" said Mr.. Merrill
of the firm Of Randall and McAllister
yesterday. ave supply from our piles
here q large numbe of the mills OF Maine
and New Ham pshire. but today we are
una BILE to obtain Cumberland coal at any
price. In fact We would be glad to pur-
chase this coal for any sum II we could
get It and would find ready market for
1t In the section of ths country We sup
ply. But we can't get 1t for love nor
money. The reason fer this Ia the great
wave of prosperity which has started up
the manufactures all over the country.
"The railroads cannot haul enough
coal to satisfy the demand for It. Tue
capacity OF the railroads ID taxed to the
utmost in carrying merchandise OF all
kinds and coal has to take Its chances.
As much, IL Lot more soft coal is being
mined today than ever before. but the
demand for 1t is far in excess Of the sup
ply. Five or six vessels are waiting for
coal at the shipping points for every oar
20 that is hauled there by the railroads.
Maine Is getting its proportional part OF
this coal, but 1t is not nearly enough.
Nothing of this kind has ever been
known before and the result will be that
nearly all Of those manufacturers who are
dependent upon coal for their power will
have to shut down.
"There Is no prospect for improvems {
In this condition for the next three OF
| four months, rs far as we can see. Our
firm has begun to import coal from Glas-
gov by the English steamers and will
ray a duty Of IS cents a ton 1t, but this
importation will not 60 great ways. II
we could secure ten thousand tons to-day
we could dispose OF 1t at price Of 20 or
even more II we wished to demand 1t. II
Is not question of price but OF supply.
"Last night we received . telephone
message from silk mill in Sanford say
ing that they would be obliged to shut
down at once II they could mot SECURE
coal to keep them running. 10 shut
down would be for them loss Of $500 =
day. They have been burning two hun
bred ,ords of wood DAY to keep their
mills running, but their supply Of wood
is now exhausted. One pulp mill has
been using Its pulp wood rs fuel at a
great less to them. 1t is the same all
| over this state and In New Hampshire.
| All of the man ufanturers have orders
ahead which 1t would require them I'M
der ordinary conditions months to fill,
but they will be forced to close their mills
for lack of fuel. Freights ON coal have
I! jumped up from 81 u ton to 50. and we
can't get oargoes at that or any Other
price. This shortage of soft coal Is sure tC
affect the hard coal market rs well. AL
ready hard coal has gone up rs cents a
ton and Will be still higher. We hesitate
to raise the price Of this coal at this time
of year because it directly affects the poor
people who cannot afford to stors much
GOAL. But the Increase in price Is bound
to come sooner or latar.
at is q serious condition OF affairs for
this state as well as othsr parts CT this
country where there are manufactures
dependent upon coal for their power, and
the condition OF things Is not likely te
improve for some months to come